Everything has a tinge to it these days. Cloudy. Dusty. Mossy green. There are oaks in these parts that grow dangling tassels that release pollen into the world. The wind conspires to help it along and soon enough everything is coated in a soft greenish yellow powder. Most people delay car washes until the trees have finished their raucous pollination. Not everyone notices when it coats the doorknob to the office or the top of the recycle bin and fingertips transfer the pollen from the outside world into the boxes of the day – the office, the car, the home. It isn’t as cursed as an allergy culprit as the clouds of juniper pollen (that causes cedar fever, go figure) that plague the area near the turning of the calendar to a new year, but for some it comes close.

I took the moment today. I remembered my camera today. Today, I went for the usual walkabout with our pooch. But this time, I made time.

Before we got here, our yard had grass, trees, and roses. I haven’t pruned the crepe myrtles so I’m not sure they’ll bloom. I also haven’t pruned the roses. They don’t seem to mind.

Walking down the street, there’s this fuzzy little thing coming to life.

DH is particularly fond of this arrangement of Four Nerve Daisies, Blackfoot Daisies, and lavender.

The snails here don’t seem to mind succulents. This one being nice and smooth, I can understand. I do find them on actually prickly ones in my pots though and wonder if spikes are to snails as spice is to us.

What started out as decoy weeds have turned into quite the smattering of happy.

Speaking of a smattering, these irises are having a joyous spring. This bed is roughly ten feet in diameter and the neighbor across the street from them has its twin.

This little purple “weed” is not to be confused with…

This little purple “weed” (who has wood sorrel neighbors that were dancing in the wind so much as to blur for the lens.)

These “bushes” (most are grown to the size of trees by Texas’s standards of “tree”) are keeping the bees in a tizzy. (Bee butt!)

The brightest smile on the block by a long shot.

And soon to be the sweetest bite on the block.

Speaking of those juniper bushes…

As the clouds thickened, smothering the diffused bright light into a dimmer world, I came upon this treat. It reminds me of a childhood home where we had a snowball bush in the backyard and a giant bush of baby’s breath in the front.

I do hope you’re able to take a little time to spot the wonders in your world. It’s a whole new way to take in a breath of fresh air.