Vine Maple Flower

I know I've done a lot of plant photos this month -- 7 in 24 days, and there probably would have been more, had I not gone to Austin for five days -- but I find them irresistible, particularly macro shots. I've always loved seeing more than is readily available with "the naked eye;" one of my favorite childhood Christmas presents was a microscope, which opened up new worlds for me.

The vivid colors here are a far cry from the muted shades in my December 7 photo of our vine maple's samaras (winged seeds), with only the deep red buds -- one of which developed into today's flower -- hinting of the spring to come.