Early Risers

She moved among us for a while, that tease of spring forward into the arms of warmth.  She’s such a flirt.  Then poof!  She took flight, and frosty air surrounds her flock of early risers frozen in time, bending and twisting, warped in frozen air.  Winter has little compassion as he watches them fighting to not give up, waiting for her return. 
 
As I survey my frosty domain, the dandelions are perky, bathing in sunshine on the frozen earth, their faces unfazed.  Daffodil flowers bend downward , their cups beginning to shrivel, while the young dogwood flower’s bracts twist away from each other.  Celandine Poppy flowers are closed tight, while Columbine leaves wilt to grasp the cold ground. 
 
Dusk inches across the landscape with its ability to cover up the flaws of this wintry day, while the blackened trees stand out in the darkening sky as a reminder that earth will not let go of her grasp and allow one to fall in this wasteland of winter, at least not tonight.
 
As I sit here plagued with the complexities of how this narrative could end, the dog’s stare is fixed upon my being as he’s frozen to the floor in front of me waiting.  A cat’s loud complaints fill the air, louder and louder, until he’s staring through the open door.  Plopping himself down, as if in defiance, he’s grooming his derriere with no intention of ever stopping.
 
I must take flight before Miss Charlotte appears, as she’s the last straw, before my toes begin to look a bit more like kibble to nibble.  We all know spring is just around the corner on the calendar, but winter has a way of laughing at our calendar and whispering "you fools".  

May your weekend be as you wish, and may your wish be happiness.

- Most photos were taken before the deep freeze -

'My Beauty' species tulip

This tulip actually comes back year after year.

Wild Violet

Celadine Poppy

American Dogwood

Four leaves called bracts surrounding the flower buds in the center.

Early bracts are green, lightening to white as they mature.

Fothergilla Gardenii Shrub with buds and immature leaves.

Trooping Crumble Cap mushrooms

Dandelion amid Purple Dead Nettles

Miss Dandilion meets Mr. Dandy Lion.

She's not impressed.

Spice Bush flowers

Quite tiny flowers that can be missed if one is not looking.

Wild Violets

Virginia Bluebells

Narcissus

Golden Club 'Orontium Aquaticum'

This one wasn't removed when pond was changed into a bog area.

Buried under two feet of topsoil, it grew to the surface the next year.

It's not as big as it used to be in the pond, but still amazing.

Little Sweet Betsy (Trillium cuneatum)

Grass after a thunderstorm

Daffodil nibbled on

Honeybee

American Redbud

Flowers usually bloom directly on the large branches,

but this year the large branches are bare.

I think the violent thunderstorm we had earlier stripped them off.  

Cuddles

- Austin and Charlotte -

Primadonna

We love our new bed!

>^. .^<

This blog is linked to:

My Corner of the World

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day

Saturday's Critters