New Beginnings...

After the winter we had in Pittsburgh, we could not have been looking forward to spring with any more enthusiasm. Jim recently announced that he will (and I quote) "Savor this Spring like no other Spring in the history of Springs." (Dramatic, much?) Anyway, in the past two weeks, the leaves and blossoms have really started coming in- just ask Jim and his allergies! I had a few minutes today to capture some of the pretty things blooming around our place.

Forsythia...

This one's not quite ready to bloom but the buds are lovely....

Can't tell you what this is because I have no idea...

The cherry trees are covered with delicate white flowers...

Our Magnolia tree, while sparse, produces such stunning blossoms I had to share several shots...

Even some of Jim's ferns have popped up and are looking quite hardy all ready...

Last weekend, we bought the Japanese Maple we'd been wanting to fill an empty spot in the yard. Here's what it looked like immediately after it was planted...

Within only a few days, it's completely changed color to a beautiful red hue (it had been stored indoors and it changes color once exposed to the sun). Can't wait to watch it grow...

Let me finish by saying that I finally put up a seasonal banner at the top of the blog that is actually from our property- it's about time, right?

HAPPY SPRING!!!