Rain

You know how back home in the south people say "we have a good chance of rain" on a cloudy day?

I was walking to a great little deli/bakery called Firehook for a hot date at noon today, and I thought I'd better grab an umbrella because "we had a good chance of rain." It occurred to me, in a city where we walk everywhere we go, yards are 10'x10' on average, trees grow every year and rain is just a messy nuisance that makes the traffic move slower, do people say "today we have a bad chance of rain?"

It did rain. I got soaked on the way back from my date. I had to ditch the black flats for bare feet. Leather shoes fill up with water faster than you'd think. But I'm not complaining. As long as it's dry in West Texas, the rain here is still good.

This spring all that good rain made some fabulous flowers.

Some of the earliest spring flowers were Bleeding Hearts.

Adrian told me what these are, but I forgot.

Early in the spring I was intrigued with these.

I watched them for weeks.

Then I met my first real Peonies. I've never seen one in person! Lame? Maybe. But I'm from West Texas.

Mothers' Day 

In April they were purple, now they are deep green.

Violets. My neighbor says they're weeds, but they were pretty for awhile.

Can you pick the photo that doesn't belong?

Grocery store tulips.

Monticello heirloom varieties.

Johnny Jump Up, a Monticello heirloom bloom.

Spring Magnolias

Capitol Dogwoods in April.

Does it really matter what it's called?

Early summer Azaleas.

Mid-summer Hydrangeas. This photo isn't mine, but this one is:

See? Hydrangeas are my favorite.