My Nana loved lilacs and roses—and both join an amazing Spring bloom in Southern California, following an unusually wet Winter. The lush greenery and flowering plants won’t last long, but their presence—and amazing aromas tickling my nose while walking—along with the weather, remind of home. Light, constant breezes and temperatures in the high teens to low twenties Celsius beneath puffy Cumulus and Nimbus clouds make San Diego feel so much like Aroostook County during Summer. My wife and I call them “Maine Days”, and they are this Spring’s hallmark but without its Down East annoyance: Mud season.
While Annie and I had seen occasional lilac flourishes, we were surprised to find a wall of the purplish flowers—along Mission, going East from Park Blvd.—on April Fools Day 2019. The Featured Image (warning: 21MB file) is the view from below, looking up at the lilacs. Vitals, aperture manually set: f/5.6, ISO 100, 1/100 sec, 63mm; 5:15 p.m. PDT.
The companion gives glimpse of the wall—and to truly appreciate the amazing detail captured by the Fujifilm GFX 50R and Fujinon GF63mmF2.8 R WR lens, you must click through and see the photo full size (warning 35MB file). Vitals are same as the other, but 1/105 sec and one minute earlier. You can see the lilacs in University Heights.