Earliest crocus
Today almost felt like a true spring day, with sunshine and barely a hint of chill in the breeze. To make the point, a cardinal greeted me on my morning walk with his "Sweet, Sweet, Sweet" call, the first one I've heard this year. In a kind of response, the first of the crocuses—the earliest ones around here are always purple—bloomed and added a welcome bit of color to the otherwise drab, leaf-litter-brown landscape. Soon enough, there'll be other feasts for winter-weary eyes, but today, this is banquet enough. Any more might be more of a shock than the visual system can handle.