Adventure in the neighborhood!

I told you that I was going to try to make everything into an adventure so I decided that taking a walk could be an adventure! I worked all morning trying to learn to work my new camera then took off outside around the house!

These beauties were one of the first I saw!  Beautiful weeds in my front yard! I won’t mow till they are gone! (Our neighbors love us)

The pic above must look like a blob of greens!  But the stalks are growing and the ants are coming (they can’t bloom without the ants helping them) and they will soon be beautiful pink and white peonies! My absolute - almost - pretty sure my favorite flower!  When I was a kid there was what I called “the peony patch” Just down the hill from my house.  I loved going down there when they were in bloom. It was an adventure! It was always near Mothers Day so I would get on my bike and head down the hill to the patch and  pilfer through the buckets and buy the best of the “seconds” for my mom!  (The first grade quality went to florists around the area). It’s kind of sad that now you can get peonies almost year round.    Now they are grown in several different states and countries with different growing seasons like Washington State, Oregon, South America, New Zealand, Israel and Holland. I just look forward to them in my yard in May! ( I’ll take a picture when they bloom )

• Can you see what I caught in the lens? It's a May Fly I think on this Japanese Maple!  I’m still in my yard! I guess you don’t have to go too far to  find an adventure! This bush is heavenly when in full bloom!  Its name is “Bridal Wreath”. I just gush over it when using it in a wedding.  It leaves a little snow of blooms following the bride down the aisle!

I finally made it out of my yard and 3 houses up the street!  I’m curious if the folks inside were looking out their windows as I wandered into their front yards!  This is a Dogwood, and the state flower of Arkansas and  also a symbol of the Church.  I love the symbolism of the crucifixion of Christ, nature has done a beautiful depiction of a horrific experience.  Check out this description of the symbolism: http://www.visualforces.com/christian/photography/nature/the-dogwood/.

Last but not least the lowly Dandy Lion! Unless you were just overwhelmed with allergies as a child this little bloom was a wonder! Fully bloomed you would pluck it up and blow! Wonder of wonders as you watched the individual petals drifted up, up and away!

A walk in the neighborhood can be an adventure as well as a walk down memory lane so get out there maybe take your camera and share with me  what you find! Peace, till we visit again! Happy Trails To You!