2C, Rainy, Windy & Grey

Took the little Bart for a walk yesterday down by the lake. I was delighted to find this Salix discolor (isn't that a disappointing botanical name for a Pussy Willow?). I went back today without him so I could get a better shot. Straightened out the horizon and focus much improved without Sir B yanking about on my camera arm. Closer would be better, but the rain and wind was coming straight in off the lake and I wussed out and ran back to the car.

I've been watching this crack in this tree get bigger over the last two years - wonder if this will be the year it finally ends up in the drink.
Hope you're fond of chartreuse. I'm going to have to find something else in bloom, but until I do, here's what the Hamamelis looked like. I bet everyone is going to heave a sigh of relief when I find something else starts to bloom in the garden.

I've never met the folks who live here, but over the last couple of years, they've kept us all entertained with their completely over-the-top seasonal decor. The gates were closing as I hastily took this snap - those are life-sized figures just to give you an idea of the urns and their size. I suppose if I were a little bit more dedicated to my photo journalism I would have scampered in there, taken some close-ups and then bunny-hopped back up over the fence. A missed opportunity if there ever was one.