Turtle tales and morning

He has been hanging out in our yard this week.  An odd little friend.

 He first appeared under the dumpster.  The girls squealed with delight and promptly made a home for him under a plastic basin at the foot of the big tree.  They named him Snappy, a.k.a. Yertle the Turtle.
He has stayed by the tree for days, but today I looked out my kitchen window and he was on the move.  The kids were still asleep so I grabbed my camera to capture his journey for them.  I chuckled as an airplane flew overhead and Snappy craned his neck to see the source of the sound.

 He lumbered along, unaware of my presence.  I grinned as the shutter clicked again.

 Down came the girls, feet pounding on stairs and bed-heads.  They learned of the goings on and out we went.  We hoped to get closer without making him hide...and we did.

They got within three feet of him but he stayed out...even daring a glance at the girls as they giggled.

Grace teetered on the garden wall, bent over and peering at the little creature who continued his journey.  We wondered where he was heading...and surmised he must be going home, to the creek behind the houses over there.  We hoped he would cross the street safely.

 He did.
We turned our attention to the garden and it's beauty in the early morning.  The Japanese maple with leaves unfolding in red and sculpture,

 another round of daffodils taking their turn,

 and that pretty little groundcover that I planted last summer, coming out everywhere among the mulch and promising a season of countless tiny purple flowers.

 Another Japanese maple, a bit further along in it's show,

 and the phlox...the beautiful carpet of Spring that makes me gasp with it's color.  I love purple.

 We sat on the sidewalk and noticed a glimmer...the dew still sparkling on the grass-tips.

 Teeny little wildflowers that later became treats for the guinea pigs...

 and more daffodils.  Glorious.

 At last, I snapped the rose.  It is there because the new rose bush was just planted two days ago and it was already in bloom...ahead of the others who have been in the garden for seasons.  The empty spot in front of my laundry room window begged for just one more rose, so I obliged.  It will catch up quickly with the others, and soon my view will be filled with pinkish-red blossoms and I just might be willing to do one more load of laundry.  Then again, maybe I will be drawn away...outside with scissors to build a bouquet.

Spring is a solid month early around here, and I could not be happier!