Random Photos #37 and #38

Compare and Contrast

I discovered the first wildflower of the year, a hepatica, on the same day my garden shared the first blooms of the year, white crocus.

I 

Which is better?

I really can't decide, each has it's own charm!

Random Photo #24

Random Photo #14

Random photo#13

Better Late Than Never!

 

 

Winter has lingered and Spring is very late this year (right now it's only 51 degrees), but the gorgeous flowers of the season - both wild and cultivated - are emerging finally.

 

Enjoy!

 

 

Lingering

Winter will just not leave this year, it just keeps lingering on and on and on...

As of May 4th, there was still a pile of lake ice on the shore and you can hear it creaking and moving in the sun.

The texture of the ice has changed; it's very crystalline and brittle.

The slightest tap, and it breaks into shards.

There are a few signs of spring in the woods, despite the snow which is also lingering - new leaves pushing up and through the old:

Buds, waiting for a bit of warmth to open:

And a few not willing to wait, open despite the cold:

It's Early This Year....

Spring!!!

The signs are all around us, long before we can usually expect them - it's definitely early spring on Mackinac!

The woods are positively rustling with squirrels searching the forest floor for hidden tidbits and there's also a whole lot of courting going on:



I always look forward to the annual raptor migration that goes over us, it's just thrilling to see them up soaring above the Island as they head farther north:

Plants are budding out very early:

And there's signs of life in the garden too:

Early spring is full of little signs of the season too come - watch for them, they're such a fleeting pleasure!



Distractions

I've been distracted lately - too many projects (which I will be sharing, hopefully in the near future) but even more so by spring having finally arrived, making it just too tempting to be outside.

There's new growth bursting out everywhere you look and there's just something so enticing about those new greens:



We've had a bumper crop of trout lilies, the flowers are so cheerful, but it's the namesake leaves that I find very interesting:

The trillium have come into bloom in just the past couple days, dappling the forest floor with bright white:

The beauty of the blossoms draws us to them, but the real purpose is to entice the proper pollinator, thus allowing the plant to reproduce itself. This is potentially a future wild strawberry .


This last one isn't a wildling, but a carefully cultivated magnolia, tucked away in a sheltered corner. The blossoms look as if they could take flight and float away if they weren't tethered to the tree.


Surrounded by such delightful distractions, is it any wonder I'm having trouble keeping myself on task?

Mackinac Easter

A beautiful sunny day; it was even almost warm!

Grand Hotel opened on Friday and they hosted an egg hunt for the Island kids, 1200 eggs were hidden in the Tea Garden. Most contained candy but the special "golden eggs" had prizes like dessert at the Gatehouse or a day of swimming at the Esther Williams pool - it didn't take long for them all to be collected!

For those familiar with the Island and Grand, the man in the bunny suit is Bob the hotel historian.

The flowers are just starting to bloom, maybe spring will finally arrive!

Spring? Maybe...

It's been tough shooting images for my 365 Project lately, everything just seems so tired, worn out and as abandoned as this nest from last year.

But there are a few encouraging signs, the birds are becoming more active and visible, especially the crows. I'm hearing cardinals calling and courting, it always sounds to me as if the males are saying "I'm so pretty, pretty, pretty" - which, of course, is completely true!

There's no activity in this greenhouse yet, the pots patiently waiting to be put to use.

But I did notice this very pleasant sight today - bright, new, green growth, a preview of blooms to come - soon I hope!