Under the Melting Frost...

...are signs of spring.

Although I think it is about to change, we have been having beautiful weather...cold and frosty at night, but clearing by morning to blue skies and chilly temperatures. I took this series of pictures on our morning walk and chose them for the interesting way the droplets form on different things. 

It was heartening to see the narcissus all in a row next to the driveway ready to burst into bloom in a day or two. This is a perfect location for them. We didn't plant them, but they come up faithfully every year. They bloom prolifically and I have tried gathering large vases of them for the house, but wound up having to put them outside because the fragrance is too much for me in an enclosed space.

The grevillea (lower right) has been blooming almost constantly since last spring and shows no sign of stopping. The hummingbirds love it, which makes it a perfect plant to have outside the kitchen window where I can watch them. These large and interesting blossoms greet us at the front door. This one in particular has earned its name 'Spider Plant'

Juniper (top right) can be a scourge. There are lots of varieties but a low growing one was planted in many front yards instead of grass at one time, presumably quite a long time ago. They have been declared an extreme fire hazard and many people are now discovering how difficult it is to get out. We're told that our whole back hill was covered in it at one time, but, fortunately for us it had all been removed and the hill replanted by the time we arrived. This is a more upright, tree-like variety which is an interesting color and a graceful habit.

The spiderweb (upper left) is one of many rather nondescript sheet webs that are almost invisible strung between the African daisies, but they sparkle beautifully when the frost melts and the drops catch the sun.

By the time we got home, the clouds had cleared and the drops were beginning to disappear. The ephemeral nature of weather, particularly at this time of year was certainly in evidence all day. As I write, the clouds have closed in again and rain is predicted overnight.