mildweed

Here it is the annual photo of the milkweed.  It is a wildflower and food for the monarch butterfly.  I let a few grow in my yard so that the butterflies will stop by for a visit.

Allium

This time of year is magical there is something new blooming every day.  I have been gone for four days and when I came back I noticed that the tomato plants are blooming and the weeds are growing like crazy which makes me really appreciate the allium.

Steeples and Trees

Steeples and trees – there are plenty of both in St. Paul they look good together especially in the spring and fall.

Spring Irvine Park

There are some things that I can count on and even look forward too. One is when the boats come back and I can hear the horns from the boats on the river again and another is when the trees in Irvine park bloom.  They are so pretty but ahead of schedule the year.  The city has a schedule and it won’t change so it will be some time before the water fountain is turned on in the park even though there is not danger of the thing freezing.  The blossoms only last about a week so now would be the best time to enjoy the blooming trees.

Spring in the city

The lovely spring green leaves frame downtown St. Paul.  Mother nature is being very kind to us this year.

wind in the willow

The weeping willow trees are among the first to green up in the spring.   They have such a nice color.

Mother Duck

Spring is such and amazing time and ours came early this year. I went into the woods a couple of days ago looking for some wildflowers that only bloom in April.  They are not blooming yet or maybe I just couldn’t find them. I did find this mother duck trying to protect her nest.  She blends in so well I was just about on top of her before she started quacking.  I took her portrait and then left her alone.  You can see the little patches of green in the picture they will be little patches of flowers in a week or two.

Mississippi River

The Mississippi River continues to rise.  My favorite spots for taking photos are closed.  It is supposed to rise two more feet before it crests. I can’t seem to stay away from it but watching it rise is like watching paint dry.  Some flooding along the river in the spring is common and expected.  This flood is bigger than average.  Here is a link with information about the flooding just in case Google brought you here when you were looking for news or information.

Crocus

Happy St. Patrick’s day.  On Sunday the sun poked out after a week of cloudy days and rain.  I found these on the side of my house moments after they opened.   They are the most beautiful flowers maybe becasue they are the first.  Sometimes they bloom even when there is now on the ground.

A cool place to sit