Not Quite the First

It's the second flower, the first got slugged :-/    Crocus banaticus, the first crocus to flower here this autumn.  From woodland clearings and open mountainsides in Romania, it's one that doesn't like to be completely dried out in summer so it can be happy outside in UK gardens.  This one is a seedling from a 2021 sowing but I have others in a trough in the garden.  It's unusual in having the three inner petals much smaller than the outer ones.

Another long work day at Aber Cafe, busier than the last few I have had but all went well thanks to the two other staff working with me.  I'm off to Birmingham tomorrow, then London, before returning Monday ready for three more work days after that.  Thankfully, there's a week coming up when I have just one shift, a much needed slow down.

Singing tonight was fun as always.  I was forty minutes late having taken the dogs for a walk beforehand.  It was a quite beautiful evening for a walk, I only turned back because I wanted to still be able to see my feet as I walked!   Extra pics give a flavour of it :-)

Edit:  Oops.  Turns out this is a milestone blip.  Twelve years worth of them ... but in a few weeks it will be thirteen calendar years since the day I started.  Appropriate that today, without engineering it, is a crocus blip.  That's what I started with back in 2011.   Over the years I missed a few days, quite a few but never in big blocks.  Sometimes life just got in the way.   Nice to report that Life is much more settled now, if not uncomplicated!   Blip has been a constant through those years, a safe place to go and share, to contemplate life and to celebrate the many good bits.  Thank you to everyone who looks in, leaves gifts and comments.   Long may we continue our friendships!