Sunlit bark

I was trying to show the effect of sunlight shining through the peeling bark of acer griseum, but it was difficult to get a good angle on it (there's a dogwood immediately behind the camera), so the effect is not as good as it might be. I'll try again when the sun is in a different position.

Looking around the garden this morning I realized that there's a lot in flower at the moment - hellebores, primroses, snowdrops, violas, daphne, dwarf irises, crocuses, the minute flowers of hazel and the tail end of mahonia. Not bad for midwinter. It's getting colder again though.