Flower Friday : : Narcissus

There are a few flowers and flower-like plants that keep blooming throughout the fairly mild winter here, but the narcissus blooms anew so early in the season that It's difficult to think about them as a harbinger of spring. These always bloom next to our driveway and inevitably become so covered in raindrops that the delicate blooms don't last very long.  There are lots of them, and I would love to pick an armful of them and put them in the house, but the first time I did that, I realized that I can't stand the smell and had to put them out on the porch. I still have a vase of red berries and pine branches out there now, so I decided to pick just one stem of narcissus that was already folded in half by the rain,  bring it inside for a photo session and take it back out again.

Just as well, as I didn't know about the tiny, uninvited guest until I had everything set up and saw it lurking behind a drooping, nearly translucent petal through the camera lens.. 

We had a nice lashing of sun today, but it's been quite cold, which made the unpleasant task of cleaning up the mess when the dishwasher overflowed even less pleasant. One of the repair 'technicians' injured himself yesterday, so they are short handed and can't get anybody here for a week, but it's just about as easy to wash the dishes by hand for just the two of us. 

A big pot of bean and vegetable soup simmering on the stove smells good, and it will only take up two bowls....

It's been one of those days where winter and spring take turns....