8 weeks countdown

To spring...so said another blogger.

  Ah, so I'm digging through last year's photos to share something inspirational.

A June bloom in spite of a lot of rain

My January 2013 blooms...not going to have any this year as pretty, nor in Jan.

These lovelies will be returning in a couple of months...I hope

The infertile decorative pears will show their white blooms before leaves.

And I've had to search a bit, but here is the tree in my yard which tells me to really roll around and celebrate spring.

Regardless of the name a person uses for the Infinite Force that holds us together, it is the source of our miraculous, unpredictable creativity and our dignity. Ashok Gangadean, "Towards a Culture of Peace," Elixir Magazine, Autumn 2007

Where's the flower?

By this time last year, I was enjoying my Amaryllis.  This year, there's just lots of leaves showing.

Doesn't everyone plant critters around the base of their flowers?  Actually this keeps inquisitive paws out.

Perhaps I should show it a picture of last year's bounty.

My January 2013 blooms...not going to have any this year in Jan.

Strange cloud formation

As my friend drove me home from a doctor's appointment in Asheville, we wondered about the strange clouds that looked like they were right over Black Mountain.  So I pulled out my trusty iPhone camera.

Yeh, that little solid blimp shaped one...off by itself.

Sunset took over...and still there it was.

The one down closest to the mountains became an alligator.  If I could spell crocodile, it would be a crocodile.

The croc was further along and not over Black Mountain at all.  Ahhh.  But the cold and snow came along following anyway.

More Ice here

Actually since the last picture was taken a few weeks ago, the lake thawed, and now in the last few days has re-frozen.

So here are this week's cold pictures.

 Close to the entrance to the park, there's a shallow area, which strangely doesn't have ice on it.  And I noticed there's actually some movement in the water, and it's not ducks or fish.  What's the answer?  You got it, a spring.

My guess is the melted area near the rocks is from the sunshine and above freezing weather both yesterday and today.  Or maybe it's just today.

But the chill returned, and that sun is still very low in the sky.  How about 8 more weeks of winter?

Cold footed ducks

A huge flock of mallards are along the frozen shore of Lake Tomahawk.

More are flying overhead looking for a good landing.

There's the tiny unfrozen space of water in which they landed.

More of the frozen lake photos tomorrow...

The habit of being happy enables one to be freed, or largely freed, from domination of outside conditions.  Robert Louis Stevenson

Frosty

Talking about our problems has become our greatest addiction. Break the habit – talk about your joys.

Rita Schiano