escaping winter's grasp

With the vernal equinox came the (hopefully) last cold front of the winter. So while the calendar is saying 'spring', the weather was saying 'winter'. It's warming up now. Me? I had to work all weekend regardless. One more week to finish the 8 out of 13 panels for St. Stanislau, the catholic church in Chappell Hill, so they can be installed before Easter (pictures soon).

So since I have no time, or am too tired and brain dead to come up with a witty or poignant post, here are some random pictures of spring flowers but what you won't see is the azaleas. None of my azaleas are blooming this year. I can't remember when that has ever happened before. I guess the drought last summer and the frigid week in January did them in. Come to think of it, I haven't seen any blooming around town either. But (and you may click on the pictures to enlarge)...

The wood violets are blooming

along with these small red lilies. The pot label said african lilies when I bought it. They are pretty in the spring but they're invasive. That's one of the things that makes them so pretty though, they have spread every where and are thick.

The red bud trees have been beautiful this year. We have them in both yards, city and country.

Out at the country house, the peas have been blooming in the garden

and the bluebonnets are putting up buds.

Back in the city this tree is blooming in the next block. There are three of them nearby the country house. This particular one, the top part of the trunk died this summer as it used to be taller.

Does anyone know what kind of tree this is? It is so sweetly fragrant.