Spring is here.

While the calendar may insist it’s still a few days away, these crocuses in the backyard beg to differ.

From the archive.

A cheerful flower to admire on a late winter day, and to look forward to seeing this summer.

A Blanket Flower, Latin name Gaillardia pulchella, in bloom.

Bright and cheerful.

Seeing this nasturtium flower made for a bright and cheerful start to my day.

Cheerful event.

The first sighting this year of a Rose-breasted Grosbeak, on a not-bad day for March, was a cheerful event.

Cheerful . . . colour.

During an exceptionally lengthy spell of chilly, cloudy, drizzly March-like weather in early May, continuing to feed the birds provides a welcome and cheerful spot of physical, emotional, psychological colour.

Cheerful.

A sunflower is such a cheerful thing. This one is in the front yard.

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Bursting

For us, the first half of May has been significantly colder than the historical norm, which has slowed down springs’ arrival. Then we had a month’s worth of rain in five days. As of Tuesday spring finally seems to be here to stay, which means that our redbud tree is bursting with colour!

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Christmas flakes

On April 15, snowflakes (called Christmas flakes because they were large and invoked a bit of cheer) nearly obscured the neighbours’ large pine tree.

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Brilliance and loveliness

The brilliance and loveliness of a hibiscus bloom brings colour and light to a December day.

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Cheerful

This aster?, species unknown, added cheerful colour to my walk through some tall brush.

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