Winter Aconite

Today’s picture is of a Winter Aconite, A sign, along with the Snowdrops that there are better things to come, including better weather, Spring and hopefully a future for Blip. I am also thinking of my friend, M undergoing major surgery for bowel cancer today, who I hope will also have a better future.
 
The Winter Aconites usually appear in my garden before the Snowdrops, but they seem later this year. This one is in my largest border along with three others. The large patch in the lawn has not yet appeared and I am not sure whether they have survived as they were in a part of the lawn that took a battering when the building and restoration of the garden took place.
 
It rained earlier today and although dry now it is very cold. I think it will rain again very soon, all-in-all a very dull day.
 
As I filled the bird and squirrel feeders this afternoon, our resident male Pheasant appeared and was so close that I could almost stroke him; he is my extra picture today.