Andromeda blossoms.

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Boardwalk at Skaket Beach. Orleans, MA. Around 3:15 p.m.

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The Festival of Saint Croci

As the Festival of St. Croci continues, I'm making mental notes to plant more of them again this fall. Especially yellow and gold ones, though the white ones are quite stunning, too.

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Which isn't to say all the other colors aren't quite wonderful. But there's something exciting about the yellow ones.

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See what I mean?

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Dancing in the sun.

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One greek legend suggests that crocuses sprang up from the ground, after an arduous meeting between Zeus and Hera, though more than one wag has suggested they grew of astonishment that the famously argumentative pair could be getting along so well.


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Another legends suggests that during a game of discus or the like, the god Hermes accidentally struck his friend Krokos a mortal wound, and the flowers grew where the man's blood fell on the ground.


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And a legendary fellow named Crocus was said to have been turned immortal through transformation to flower form, after falling in love with a goddess. There's a million stories in the growing garden...

Proud Robin

Just happened to catch this robin during a worm digging session at one of our local backstreet traffic islands. Don't know who's license plate that is sitting on the ground, though it's sure to be a story. If someone recognizes their missing plate, they'll find it on the road to Skaket Beach in Orleans.

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Crocus Happiness

Temperature today is 52 here on the Cape, much warmer, I hear, over in Boston. But I'll take what we're getting, especially with talk of some much needed showers arriving over the weekend. April showers, yah, that's the ticket!

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More crocuses. Anyone tired of seeing them yet? Nope, I didn't think so!

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Coming Attractions

Dutch hyacinth.

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Asiatic lily.

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And another asiatic lily pushes out into the light.

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I'd been, I'll admit, a little worried about my heliotrope. They're really one of my favorites, but it's been a dry winter, and there'd been no sign of them. Until I turned on my microscopic vision, and spotted these tiny (really tiny) little red sprouts appearing just this morning.

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Meanwhile...

Meanwhile, back in Eastham...more crocuses!!

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White primroses, going strong.

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Freesias From Texas

My pal Heidi sends greetings from Texas, along with a digital bouquet of freesias from her garden! Beautiful...if only this blog were scent-friendly.

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Sunset

Rock Harbor, Orleans, just after 6 p.m.

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You Know What, George...

Here's one of the two foxes we've been seeing in and around the parking lot at work this past week or so.

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Seven More Reasons Why We Love Spring

1. The sudden appearance of crocuses remind us that everything can be new again.

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2. Sometimes in the morning you can find a nice bright warm patch of sun to lay in for a little while.

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3. Crocuses.

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4. Crocuses.

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5. Crocuses.

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6. Crocuses.

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7. Crocuses.

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Morning At the Feeder

Our friends the tufted titmouses...titmice, I suppose...are everywhere this time of year...including at the feeders.

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Mossy roots in the wood.

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A full cluster of beautiful purple crocuses in the back garden.

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One singular sensation.

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Three blue primroses in the sun.

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And the Squirrel Remains...

Here a shaken, but still hungry squirrel remains after the abrupt departure (in a roar of wingbeats) to the relative safety of the pond shore (you can see their collective wake on the pond, as they all swim off), as the Photographer appeared in the window.

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A Flash of Red

A cardinal at the feeder, just before dusk. Shot without flash, through screen and two layers of glass...so in no way does this properly capture this fellow's bright beauty. But you get the idea.

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Purple Crocus

Found this happy clump of purple crocuses out in the back garden--it pays to take a light hand with the rake!

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Everywhere You Look...

...those little signs of Spring are coming along nicely. Like here, with this first budding daffodil. Today I did some more raking...and even a little watering (with nearly no snow, and little rain to speak of, we need it!)

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Or the little columbine leaf-lets that have begun poking up out of the ground nad unfurling their leaves.

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And this tiny grape hyacinth is slightly ahead of the pack, forming a little flower cluster already.(For scale, those ARE pine needles.)

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This enthusiastic lily sprout only needed the weekend to bring itself into the upright and locked position.

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Blue Primroses

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On the Pond

I took a break from raking and walked around the pond, out by the road. I was hoping to catch one or two of those elusive shots I usually only spot as I'm driving off to work. Today, I managed to snap a shot of our elusive flock of ducks, albeit at a distance.

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Our house on the pond. Can you see it?

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Basking

The Little King basks in the sun through the slider.

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In the Garden...

As temps quickly climbed into the mid-fifties (nicer than predicted, tho without the showers, which might've been nice for all the green things), I took rake in hand and carefully raked free the beds around the house. All sorts of lovely green things were revealed.

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This cluster of asiatic lily sprouts are the first I've seen this year. They'll grow more upright without the leaves to weigh them down.

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Before long, this white hyacinth should be scenting the yard with its sweet fragrance.

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To the Sea

And it was too nice a day not to drive a few minutes out of the way to the East and have a nice fresh look at the Atlantic. Here's a shot of the boardwalk at Coast Guard Beach, Eastham. @ 11:15 a.m.

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Like I said, birdsong's been a theme lately, and this little sparrow was singing its heart out, a happy tune heard amidst the quiet roar of the ocean.

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Looking south.

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To the north.

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