It's Finally Warm Enough ...

For a walk around the neighborhood this afternoon!  Adam and I haven't done that is so long. The sky is very blue today.

Sandy was eager to go.  Adam says, "How do you get it?" And she plops her bottom down and "sits pretty." Then he puts on the beloved leash.

Did I say the sky was very blue?

These pine cones are my favorite;  they're tiny, the size of my pinky fingernail. So adorable! I love all things miniature.

Some neighbors are still harking back to Christmas.

Others are pruning harshly, anticipating the new growth of spring. These crepe myrtles are so ugly now, and once you prune them like this the first time, you can never again have them in their lithe, delicate original form.

Winter exposes things in their worst and best. This tree has been pruned in the past, and even though it's been years, it still shows. A tree should be lovely in both summer and winter, I think.

This is a beautiful crepe myrtle, unpruned and allowed to stretch out its branches like a ballet dancer. She also has gorgeous bark -- very rust-colored.

This is one of about four holly bush/tree/shrubs that was laden with berries this year -- heavy with them. I've been meaning to get a pic of it for months. The berries still look bright, but if you examine them close-up, you see that they're getting tired, pale and ready to fall off.

I wish this photo showed all the moss that graces this roadside. I love this spot. The trees and underbrush on the left, and the mossy floor, impress on my the idea of little fairies or elves creeping from the woods at night, to dance on the soft moss. The telephone pole, however, rather ruins the effect.

Tomorrow, the temperatures should climb to about 60º!  Another walk, perhaps?  Sandy says, "Yes, please!"