Season's spinning 'round again, the years keep rolling by

For the past two years, we've had exactly one day of snow over winter here in Goulburn (heavy frosts notwithstanding). This year has either been too warm or too dry for that to happen, and the closest we got to it was when the fish pond almost froze over when I was in Sydney. quilters_block took a photo of it for me:



I never noticed the change of seasons much in the city, except the obvious extremes of chilly winter winds and hot, humid summer days. Here in Goulburn, I'm suddenly noticing all these little signs that winter is moving on. The flower buds on the japonicas look like red fabric buttons, so swollen and close to opening - the first ones they've had since we planted them. The top of one of our ornamental grapevines was snapped yesterday, and the break was still damp with rising sap this morning. The roses are mostly pruned, and already they're sprouting new red-green leaves. Things are growing. Bees are buzzing. Jonquils and violets and hyacinths and wallflowers are out. The leaves of the bluebells have already poked up, and soon their flowers will follow. I can smell the gorgeous white daphne every time I open the front door.

( So, here's to the green and the growing! )

( Even the toadstools )