Thank goodness for these daffodils, tucked in on the edge of our woods. Every spring, I somewhat obsessively watch this little spot, knowing that when I see yellow blooms, our winter hibernation will be officially over.

That there is a hyacinth, my potted hyacinth from last Easter, transplanted to the garden bed. I watch it obsessively, too.

Our property has little surprises everywhere. The wooded area is overgrown with brambles and wild roses and later on in the season, poison ivy. Beyond the shed, right at the edge of the property line are some forsythia bushes. I donned my hazmat suit the other day and fought my way out there, thinking it was time to force some pretty yellow blooms. Smile.

Also on the edge of the property:

The remains of a house. It’s right by the road and the ground above those stones is fairly flat. If you walk down to the road, you can see more of it. I wonder who lived there? And just how long ago was it built?

I managed to get a photo of our elusive cardinal. As I opened the blinds in the den early one morning, I saw a woodpecker, several sparrows, 2 blue jays, and the cardinal. Things were hoppin’ out by the maple tree. I ran for the camera and with the help of my telephoto lens, managed a slightly blurry shot.

And finally, one of the neighbor’s cats. This one likes to hang out in the back forty. And take naps. And taunt Scout. He wasn’t in the mood for a photo shoot:

He was ready for some jungle exploration.

It’s going to be an unseasonably warm day today. 80 degrees.

Be sure to come back on Wednesday. I have a book review for a book I really loved. And I’m giving one away.