Climate change

The season has changed, and my desktop background is slow to catch up. This is what I have enjoyed this winter.

But with high temperatures nearing 90F it's time to change the picture. This seems appropriate, if not for the meteorological climate, then for my internal state.
The forecast is for thunderstorms this evening, though, really and truly, and not just inside the house.

Sproing is acting stormy, too. It's hard.

A pretty picture and a funny story

From Botany Photo of the Day

Lupinus pilosus, commonly known as the blue lupine, is an Old World lupine, occurring from southern Greece through western Turkey to Israel.

More information can be found at the above-linked website.

And now for something I think is hilarious. I called my Mama tonight, since I failed to call her on Thanksgiving or the weekend that followed. She spent the holiday weekend with my youngest brother and his wife and kids. She reports that a good time was had by all. Evidently it is my brother's tradition to assemble his Christmas tree during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. This is the second year in a row that Mama has been present for the process. She told me that she is their official Christmas Tree Fluffer.

I blame it on you, my dear gay blog buddies. I've been hanging with y'all enough so that my mind jumps to associations I've picked up from you. She said "fluffer" and I started to laugh. Then laugh louder. And harder. Until I could barely breathe. She didn't understand what I found so funny. It took me a minute to catch my breath so I could tell her that I know another meaning for that term. I said it was all your doing, and asked her, knowing from whence I came upon the knowledge, if she wanted me to tell her. She did, so I told her. I couldn't tell over the phone whether she was more amused or put off. I don't care. I had a jolly good laugh out of the whole thing, and I really needed a good laugh. And I have you, indirectly, to thank for it.

I love you all.

trees

I took all the above pictures on campus in February. Yes, those pretty pink flowers bloomed in February. By the end of the month they were frozen dead. But they sure were pretty while they lasted.
This is the Bradford Pear in our front yard as it was beginning to bud. The tree has little light green leaves on it now. Perhaps I'll take another shot of it and post it soon.
This is my current desktop photo. Twitch took this picture on one of his scout camping trips recently. I think it's north Florida, but I'm not entirely sure.

Moss in a stream

This photo is from an daily email subscription I receive. I thought the photograph was particularly nice.