With the world beginning to reopen in this hopeful final chapter of the pandemic, I’m turning to flowers for wise counsel. 

Dandelions and Daisies unfold at light鈥檚 command. The Marvel of Peru (or 4 o鈥檆lock) opens in late afternoon and shuts come morning. Lilies have less observable triggers, their petals peel back in ruffles from pressure building within their cell walls. Paratonic movement refers to a plant鈥檚 response to various external stimuli, a term which doesn鈥檛 do justice to the tender and often arresting beauty of an eventual blossom.   

For as many ways that a flower responds to external forces, the timing of their petals opening and closing, again and again, is their best chance for pollination and protection from harm. I imagine similar forces working in our favor when negotiating a return to normal life, and look for signals that tell me I am ready. On my way to work, the corridor of purple jacaranda trees lining Del Mar Blvd. is a welcome sight. 

In little more than one week, 优蜜视频 Academy will experience its own kind of blossoming, with students taking classes Monday through Thursday at our Learning Center in Pasadena. Eight classes in all, including robotics, chemistry, and podcasting, we are excited to share stories and fun photos of the action! If you missed the chance to join us this summer for an in-person or online class, we are here to help answer your questions for the fall. Every session is a new season for learning and fun, so stay tuned and stay in touch!

Here in Los Angeles, it鈥檚 been raining quite a bit this month. With the dreary weather on top of spending a lot of time inside recently, I almost completely forgot that as of March 19, it鈥檚 now officially spring! One of my favorite things about this season is seeing all the beautiful flowers and plants blooming throughout the neighborhoods. Lately I鈥檝e loved going on walks to get out of the house and get some exercise. This inspired me to create a scavenger hunt for spring blooms that you might see if you live in Southern California!

If you enjoy this activity, follow to check out a similar nature scavenger hunt that our program coordinator Nicole created. Print out the official spring blooms scavenger hunt below to keep track of your flower sightings and points! And let us know in the comments or on social media how many points you get!

or the image below to download the directions to 优蜜视频’s Spring Blooms Scavenger Hunt.