We've had a little bit of everything for weather today. There was sunshine, then rain and some thunder, more rain and it was right around 50 degrees all day. Tonight it is about 40.

The rain really moved things along, even though it wasn't very warm. You could almost hear things popping up out of the ground and tree buds expanding into tiny leaves. By late afternoon, we had daffodils blooming everywhere they're supposed to be each spring and tulips coming up where I'd forgotten I'd planted any. We planted a small "rescued" maple tree out back last fall, and surprisingly it's showing signs of life, too. It was a victim of our removing an old shed and even though it had crooked roots and was kind of lop-sided, Fred dug a hole and I plopped it in and staked it. Now it has buds.

I hope this will be a good year for apples. Some years we have four trees blooming at the same time - a crab apple, two ornamentals, and a very old apple tree that bears fruit only every other year. The display of color is amazing when they are all blooming. Then there's the fragrance and all the bees and the birds - just spectacular.

In a couple weeks it'll be Mother's Day. This year I expect there will be lots of flowers, but lots of years I'd go into the woods to hunt for Mayflowers (or Spring Beauties, as some folks call them) and I couldn't find any at all. My dad and I had favorite spots where we could always find them. We both knew Mom loved them. I have a few that pop up in one of my flower beds, but I never pick them. There aren't very many and I don't want to lose them. They are in among lilies-of-the-valley, lupines, bee balm and some wild roses that came out of nowhere, too. I can't imagine how they got there, but they are most welcome. I love when something unexpected shows up in my garden - like tiny fir trees or little cedar sprouts. I carefully transplant them up in the woods or to some more favorable spot around the lawn. When it's a flower, though, it stays where it lives. Even the prickly rose gets to stay. Can't wait to see what surprises there are this year.

Tomorrow I have appointments in town, so will be out early. If I have time, I'll stop at Bentley's Cafe in Danville.