Springtime yard

I've got tulips, daffodils, and grape hyacinths blooming all around the yard, but what amazes me are the wildflowers in the yard. Amongst the usual suspects (dandelions and hens and chicks) these violets are really putting on a show. I get the purple ones every year, but the white with purple flecks are new to me. They showed up in a side yard a few days ago, and they make a nice display on the kitchen windowsill.

Color Amongst the Brown

On my daily walk I found this piece of birch bark. The photo doesn't do it justice---soft pinks and greens with a little yellow. Lovely to see in a world of brown and grey. This is the unsnowiest winter in my 5 years here in Chicagoland. (I love making up words).

O February

"In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer." Albert Camus

They're calling for 6 to 8 more inches tonight. I'm glad. If it's going to be cold, I'd just as soon have snow.