Spring Has Sprung

Whilst I was recovering from the flu, Spring arrived on the island.

This hill covered with clover in bloom is the first sign. (The red bits in the middle are wild geranium.) In the East, to my best remembrance, it's crocus and forsythia that mark the approaching end of Winter. Here it's clover.

Then I encountered this lovely blue-purple-white creature along the back road into town. (After huffing my way up a hill that had apparently grown steeper during my illness.)

And across the road, in the shadow of the hill, so low to the ground that I almost missed them, were these tiny lavender star flowers.

A little further along, where the road curves so that the sun shines onto the hillside, I found these little yellow guys.

And all the way along, whenever there was cactus clinging to the steepest and driest parts of the hill, these purple blossoms waved in the wind on their tall, thin stems. They're not part of the cactus; just seem to prefer the same environment.

Yet more yellow flowers. These are part of a bush that mostly prefers the higher bits of the hillside. But this one had condescended to grow close enough to the road to allow me to get a picture.

I didn't recognize any of the flowers I saw (other than the clover and geranium), but this has GOT to be some sort of daisy. Don't you think?

That's the end of the nature walk. I hope this will give a boost to all who are still surrounded by cold white snow and ice.