The World Outside

I am fortunate to have a big window that overlooks my front yard and the street beyond. I've seen all kinds of things out there. Interesting people walk by. A variety of cars and trucks--some speeders. Car crashes. Cops stopping speeders. The greening of my yard. The yard men mowing. The red oak trees leafing. Flitting cardinals. Scavenging squirrels.

My flowering quince blooming in February:

So what exactly is this stunning plant? Here's some information from eHow:

In the deep South, quince may bloom as early as January. It is a member of the rose family, and the odd fruit bears a sweet, apple-rose flavor. Flowers emerge before the leaves and hold their bloom until the leaves are completely expanded.

Most of the year, this shrub is a mass of tangled, thorny branches with mundane foliage. But in spring, the beast becomes a beauty with showy single or double blossoms. In October we are rewarded with apple-like fruit that makes a great marmalade or jelly.

As I drove around my neighborhood, I found the trees and flowers emerging everywhere I went. Iris, Bradford Pear, Saucer Magnolia, some red berry thingy, cherry tree... spring is invigorating.

Anything special outside your window?

Vicki Batman adores watching the transformation from winter to spring. Find her at: http://vickibatman.blogspot.com Or at: http://plottingprincesses.blogspot.com. Man Theory and Other Stories is available thru Amazon.com or BarnesandNoble.com.