Sunday Walk

Today was the first I have gone for a walk without a jacket,

so spring is really here.

I took the dogs around the far side 

of the marsh,

past where the coltsfoot are blossoming.

The patch is getting larger!

Some of the pussywillows are finished blooming,

but not all of them.

Annie kept saying "Come on in, the water's fine".

There were a lot of the trees coming into leaf

or bud.

The next image is red elder, in bud.

Jake was starting to say we had walked far enough.

But we were not all the way around the marsh yet...

We went past a couple of old fence posts,

and admired the tiny leaves in the grass.

About this point, Jake's hip was unable to hold him, and I had to carry him a ways. Good thing he only weighs 29 pounds...

Also a good thing we were almost home.

Coltsfoot

Yesterday, I found three coltsfoot buds poking through the dead grass.

I brought one home, so I could see it open fully.

It opened out as it got warm, and closed half way about dark, even though it was under the plant lights.

It has opened again this morning!!! Unlike a dandelion.

I am linking this with NF Blo-Ma.

Coltsfoot Blossoms

The coltsfoot is starting to bloom, 

 but the mornings are still cold.

 I'll have to see about getting there in an afternoon.

 

Coltsfoot

The coltsfoot flowers are in fluff now.

 They still look a lot like dandelions,

 until you look closely.

 

Today's Flowers

The weather was lovely, so I took the dogs for a long walk this afternoon.

 The coltsfoot was blooming,

 and I insisted we take a lot of photos.

 For more photos of flowers from around the world, click the icon on the right.

 

Coltsfoot Flowers and Ice

On my morning walk, I found the first of the coltsfoot flowers. 

 They thought it was still a bit nippy, so they were tightly furled.

You would have been too, with ice on the water 20 feet from you.

Coltsfoot

The coltsfoot is going to seed, and I barely saw it this year!

Coltsfoot

The patch of coltsfoot flowers is blossoming again. I am still amazed that I never saw these sunny flowers before last year!

Coltsfoot Going to Seed

The coltsfoot flowers are mostly gone now.

The seed heads are rather like dandelions, only more dense.

Although I have never seen a cluster of dandelion clocks like this.

Today's Flowers

Coltsfoot flowers look a little like dandelions,

but only from a distance.

Coltsfoot

I have been walking in this area for twenty years, and I have never seen these flowers before.

I am pretty sure they are coltsfoot. How could I have missed their cheery yellow faces?