Looking for spring beauty

 

On a grey day this dogwood showed signs of buds about to bloom. This was the day before 84 degree temperatures...perhaps that pushed them open!

Last week several nights were below freezing, but the Bradford Pear survived, and is moving toward having green leaves now.

Nobody I know, just wanted to show the fireplace!

The Cornerstone Restaurant in Asheville offers breakfast all day long.

I'm helping spring along. Some grocery store flowers sit on my table next to the machine which has a vest to vibrate my lungs to help me breathe.

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Sharing with Tom's Tuesday Treasures and Wordless Wednesday.

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Every man is guilty of all the good he didn't do. -Voltaire, philosopher (1694-1778)

Black Mountain's Beautification Committee does a great job of putting some blooms in the corners people go by.

The end of false spring

Sometime today a cold front will arrive and there will be frost by Friday morning!

But the other day on the way home from lunch at the Senior Center, I slowed enough to capture a few of the early blossoms.

The chair volleyball game was still going when I got there. Menu today was chicken parmesan with spaghetti and roasted Brussels Sprouts and a dinner roll, with milk and a cookie. That day I remembered to bring my own silverware so I didn't use the plastic-ware which is provided. An attempt to help the planet one fork and spoon at a time!

And the Bradford Pear greeted me as I swung into my own driveway.

The faded colors are through the windshield.

Though the sun is playing hide and seek with possible showers (none have appeared yet) I saw these lovely little blueish purple goodies...not violets I think, but...?

Oscar Wilde was right, “It is what you read when you don’t have to that determines what you will be when you can’t help it.”

Thankful Thursday!  Floral Fridays!

Happy Ostara, or Spring Equinox!

More flowers from hard searching!

Yes tiny violets within the grass by our apartments!

The forsythia behind the Lakeview Center, hasn't quite popped yet (photographed Friday 3.14.25)

But my drive up Sunset Rd. gave me a couple or four groupings (3.16.25)

This was a new road for me to explore, right behind Wendy's on Saturday (when I didn't eat there)

The first attraction was this row of pear trees located behind the Comfort Inn.

There are some newer houses, some sill being built (or repaired after the storm). It is a typical winding road, and of course I turned off when some huge black truck came roaring up behind me...so I went as far as the pavement lasted, then turned around, and fortunately remembered which way to turn going back to civilization. (Well, downhill was a clue.)

These flowers caught my eye on the way uphill, but as I came down, there was this amazing archway. There's another one welcoming people to Montreat (nearby small town in the opposite direction across the valley). But I'll bet this was built by the same mason! But you can see the house behind isn't a big mansion. It does however have stone pillars between the windows, giving a good structure to the house (which show more in the second photo below)

The double arch gateway to Montreat NC (photo taken as I was leaving)

As I captured the star magnolias (I think) there was a young man walking under the arch, outside this photo. I just waved to him, and he waved back...after all, I can look like a tourist just interested in his flowers! But if I'd been a bit more courageous I'd have asked about the archway. Sorry folks.

Just a few hazy pink things, maybe quince and weeping cherry blossoms. But it could also be an early azalea, though I haven't seen any others with buds yet. Quince comes in first!

Sharing with Floral Fridays Fotos

Today's quote:

Do not be afraid to start over.

PAM MUÑOZ RYAN

Today's art:

conceptual-watercolor-artwork-for-meditation-and-a-mindful-lifestyle-that-promotes-spiritual-awareness-mental-and-emotional-well-being-self-care-and-good-habits-ai-generated-photo

Family album:

Kendra and Tai. Probably 2018. 

The little pump house

Without cars this springtime blocking the view, the flowers are just out there for their own pleasure.
I sure do miss the tourists!

Black Mountain Beautification group does a great job clearing out the beds for flowers to bloom. I don't know that this is a pump house...it has that strange looking vat outside the door. I wonder what is really inside. Ha, there's even a window that a brave enough soul could peak inside! Not I.

Thanks to my friend, Tim, for picking up some groceries as he was driving right past a nearby store and left them on my porch. You never know how much you want a fresh piece of fruit, and now I've got one!  The bananas have all been frozen, and I had a great smoothie for supper last night.

And for the musical folks...adding a bit of Playing for Change this morning to a post that's already gone out. Honkey Tonk Woman.  YES!

My neighborhood

Some yellows for you today

Forcing spring

Does it work? Momma Nature (Gaia I call her) has been tricky with nice warm days in February, and then a few which are below freezing. The other day I woke at 7 to frost on my car and the roof of the apartment building downhill from me. It then was sweater weather at 3pm of 56 degrees.

Rain was due the next day.

I was gifted with a nice big branch of Forsythia, which has been inside at a window, sometimes getting some sun, at least more consistently warm than outdoors. I was hoping for beautiful yellow buttery flowers.

I don't know what makes some buds turn into leaves, and some into flowers. Of course Momma Nature must know, and the buds were thus determined long before they open.  So this is how it is.