Winter Is on the Way Out
Our kitchen-widow-camellia is our fail-safe predictor that winter is about to cease and desist — or at least it is in the wind-down mode. The shrub is persnickety. Sometimes the blooms come as early as late December or as late as early March. This year a week or so into February, the burst-forth started. Regardless of the timing, the message is the same, ‘Hang in there, winter is on the way out.’ The tale of the camellia started in 2008 and continues to serve as the official notice that greenery is on the way.
Sunday, February 21, 2016
Pine Buff, Arkansas
The warmish, slightly clammy February Sunday afternoon triggered an itch in yours truly to recognize the upcoming demise of winter by photographing our kitchen-window-camellia, an annual rite of nearly spring. On top is that, tiny spring beauties were poking up in the brownish Bermuda grass of winter. It was a walking photo safari encompassing no more than a 100-foot roundtrip from our front door.
An Equal Blessing
While shooting spring beauties, which requires laying on one’s front side, I noticed that Nikon, our giant American Longhair cat, had settled down nearby to observe my in-his-opinion-bizarre-behavior. He was good enough to cast a curious glance in my direction for a ground level cat portrait. He is a rescue. The clock was ticking on him at a shelter when he joined our family. We are equally blessed in this union. See the spring beauty picture at Weekly Grist for the Eyes and Mind.
A ‘Get-Lucky’ Portrait
While shooting our second camellia, our nearly-all-Russian-Blue, Katy, decided to stop by for a look. She and I are mutual fans, but she is a tad skittish when it comes to portraits, so this is a ‘get-lucky’ picture. Katy is also a rescue. See the second camellia at Weekly Grist for the Eyes and Mind.
An Early Loner
No spring is complete without jonquils. While we have managed to kill those that were in our yard years ago, my neighbor, a master gardener with the pedigree to prove it, normally has a yard full. But not so much (so far) this year. This one was a loner.
A Few of the Many
These jonquils are part and parcel of a nice bed with a hundred or so blooms.
Could Be Botswannian Flowering Turnips
This planter stands next to the master gardener's driveway. They look cool, but I cannot tell you if they are pansies, Patagonian petunias, or Botswannian flowering turnips.
Thanks for taking a look at the precursors of full-fledged spring here in LA. Enjoy the look while you can because given our schizophrenic weather behavior, they could be under ice before the week is out. We hope not.
But wait, there's more!
See a couple more camellia shots,
another look at Nikon the Cat,
a cool spring beauty,
and more looks at the jonquils
at Weekly Grist for the Eyes and Mind. Click, go, and enjoy.
