Flower Friday : : Hellebore

We've had most of the week to dry out, but the ground is still surprisingly wet...all the better to pull the multitude of weeds that are popping up. I noticed that the tiny daisy like flowers which are a form of chrysanthemum are beginning to bloom next to the back fence.

There are narcissus blooming next to the driveway, They are usually the first indication of spring so I hope the fact that they are showing their faces before February is a sign that we will have an early spring this year.. They make a lovely big bouquet...unfortunately, I can't stand the smell of them.

The hellebores have had the worst of it since they are just about the only flower to bloom in the winter in our garden. They have so much trouble holding their faces up that they are permanently looking at the ground, but I liked the late afternoon light and managed this picture through a combination of crouching on the ground and holding the flowers up with a stick. If I had had a third hand, I might have been able to achieve a better focus, but my knee on a rock was telling me otherwise,

A long talk with a friend whose daughter is fighting addiction yielded some hopeful news. Her comment was, "At least for two weeks I know I don't have to worry about getting a phone call telling me she is dead...."  It doesn't sound very hopeful,  but living in the moment was never more important. My hellebores which survived the storm are for her....