Sheep Shots

Spring has arrived in Northeast Pennsylvania, just like we knew it would. And yet, it's always a surprise to drive around the corner and see the pear trees (planted because they leave little in the way of debris) lining Main Street with a cloud of white flowers.

And our own yard (which will be dry and brown in August) even looks pretty this time of the year. I take no credit for the magnolia or the forsythia, they were here when we arrived.

We take real joy in the blooming of this tree, though. It's a fickle thing, budding and promising glory and then wilting under heat or frost right before the buds unfurl.

We've lived here for over 15 years. A bloom like this is a rarity.




I'll take credit for the display of flowering bulbs, though. Over the years, I've planted and transplanted several hundred of them.

They include everything from the snowdrops that I "liberated" from my childhood home (one of very few happy memories) that bloom right through the slush crust to these little blue things whose name escapes me (and of course, the bulb catalog that arrived yesterday is nowhere to be found).



They include Jonquils like these, though I have no memory of planting them (at least not in this particular spot).

I confess that I never wanted these perky little suckers in front of the house, but they are slowly growing on me (bad, bad pun!) .

I'm working hard to make the front flower beds look sort of charmingly "unplanned" (which takes a lot of planning).


My personal favorites (an the flowers I would love everywhere) are the big, solid yellow daffodils like these.

I have planted literally hundreds. The squirrels don't dig them up, and they come back year after year with little attention, unlike the tulips which are both touchy and a squirrel-magnet.

They'll be blooming in profusion in another week or so, unless the squirrels snap the heads off (what's up with that?) like they did last spring.

Note to self: water and peanuts!




Then there are the little surprises, like this volunteer Johnny-Jump-Up. It's the only brave soul remaining from several dozen that were planted. And, of course, it's coming up between the cracks in the patio blocks.

If there were more than just this one, I'd be tempted to move it to a better spot. But since it's only one, I'll let it stay and go to seed.

Pansies (and these little cousins) are among my favorite non-bulb spring flowers.

We have lilies of the valley (in sorry 20-year old state) an violets (which I understand are weeds, but are still kind of sweet).

Everything else is still pretty much dormant. Not unlike the homeowner.



And speaking of things-that-need-transplanting, there's a cat wrapped in plastic in my living room.

Anyone with a high maintenance pet wll understand.

It's a good thing she's loveable!