Few Signs but Welcome Ones

Among the many pleasures of living in North Carolina is the gradual unfolding of spring.  In Wisconsin, spring was rather like "The Wonderful One Hoss Shay," described by Oliver Wendell Holmes.  Spring arrived:

 All at once, and nothing first, —
Just as bubbles do when they burst.

One day the trees were bare and it seemed the bleak mid-winter.  Within a week, not only were the spring flowers blooming, the grass was green and the trees were leafed out.  It's different here, with spring arriving in bits and pieces, each one as valued as the other.  In the lower elevations the crocus and daffodil are blooming in profusion.  Our community is about a week or two "behind" the weather downtown.  But even so, we have our own signs of spring.

This camellia seems unaware that another cold spell is certain.

And all those lovely buds will brown and fall off.

But she puts out a few flowers nonetheless.

And we appreciate it.

 Right on time the Lenten Rose (hellebore) is blooming as well.

 Arnold Promise (our witch hazel) has fewer blooms than usual

But they are still lovely and the fragrance fills the air.

 Dependable pieris japonica blooms right on time.

 And one flower never stops blooming no matter the season or weather.

It's a cut glass flower made and welded by a WI neighbor as a farewell gift.

So we watch as spring approaches.  And we drive to different elevations where we can find a lot more spring and dead of winter all in one day.  Life is definitely better in the mountains.