I was delighted to find these hellbores (helleborus) getting ready to bloom.
Often referred to as winter roses or lenten roses, they are in fact not closely related to the rose family. No matter what they are called however, it’s wonderful to see them.
Happy Sunday.
O my Luve’s like a red, red rose
That’s newly sprung in June;
O my Luve’s like the melodie
That’s sweetly play’d in tune.
As fair art thou, my bonie lass,
So deep in luve am I;
And I will luve thee still, my dear,
Till a’ the seas gang dry.
Till a’ the seas gang dry, my dear,
And the rocks melt wi’ the sun;
And I will luve thee still, my dear,
While the sands o’ life shall run.
A Red Red Rose was based on traditional sources and complied by Scottish poet Robert Burns (1759-1796) in 1794 originally as a song. Robert Burns is considered to be Scotland’s national poet and is also responsible for compiling Auld Lang Syne.
Happy Valentine’s Day.
It’s beginning to be a little springy …
… with green fronds pushing through the dry leaves from last year …
… and the cherry tree buds making themselves known …
… including a close-up …
… while the sun begins to warm the earth.
Happy Friday 13th. 🍀
A lovely February day …
… not to be missed …
… from morning until evening.
Happy Thursday.
The mallard ducks have all paired off …
… and are busily eating as much as they can in preparation for the spring arrival of their hatchlings.
The male mallards help with the nesting but once the young ones arrive, they go off by themselves to suffer through their moulting period. The moulting makes them feel terrible (and look rather terrible, too); I have seen lots of male mallards looking very listless and ill.
Did you know that mallards are the progenitors of nearly all domesticated duck species except the Muscovy ducks? And did you also know that despite the name, Muscovy ducks are native to the Americas and not at all to Russia?
Happy Wednesday.
I enjoyed immensely these blue skies; such a lovely sight after weeks of winter grey.
These photos are completely unedited; that way you can really see how pretty these clear skies were.
Happy Tuesday; I hope you have a blue sky day.
A final image from the recent visit to Hurricane Ridge (Olympic National Park). I thought you might like to see a more ground level shot. The snow is…
Snow, Trees and Sky
A stunning photo from Allan at Allan J Jones Photo Blog. Please click the link above to see more of his beautiful photography.
We were lucky enough to have a rare sunny day …
… and I made sure that I got out there to enjoy it.
The ducks definitely did.
It was lovely to sit and watch the sun go down through last year’s dried hydrangeas, knowing that they will soon be replaced by spring growth.
Happy Monday.
The sun breaks through …
… the clearing overcast above Okanagan Lake.
Happy Saturday.
Although many of us in western North America are enjoying some nice February weather, most people are still freezing and fighting off snow, wind and ice. So here’s another “think spring” post to hopefully brighten your day.
I believe the groundhogs were mostly saying that the central and eastern parts of the continent are supposed to have an early spring and I would definitely say that you’ve earned it! So herewith are some memories of June, 2025. Last time, I posted pictures from April and May.
Tea roses …
… a very fresh daisy …
… lovely pinkish-red hydrangeas …
… and white ones, too …
… with pretty pastel poppies.
Happy Friday.
In the Net! - Pictures and Stories of Life 