First, it was the crocus shoots. Today, with the temperature still staying on the relatively warm side... well, for February... I went combing the ground for other signs of botanical life, and in the semi-wild garden area between the trio of interconnected Beech trees and the house, I hit what I guess you could call pay-dirt. This area is replete with treasures we've either planted or just nurtured when they appeared out of nowhere, and the earliest of the bunch is invariably a European native called Winter Aconite. Its scientific name is Eranthis hyemalis: the genus designation means "spring flowering," while the species name translates as "winter blooming," so, taken together, you have a diminutive plant that often kicks off the blossoming season. Once the leaves appear, the delightful yellow blooms won't be far behind. Who knows? Maybe we'll have flowers tomorrow!