Warning: the title is misleading. There are no daisies in this post.
At least, I don’t think there are. I’m never really sure here about the local landscaping: I’m a transplant myself.

I know this one’s a passiflora. My friend Nancy knows her petunias from her peonies and has enlightened me.

That little purple fringe in the center reminds me of Disney-esque eyelashes. That epiphany a few weeks ago has literally colored my brain filter regarding California flowers. I can’t look at these now without thinking about poor lost little Nemo.

See this bush? It’s right outside our door in Half Moon Bay.* I shot this yesterday because once again, I was absolutely flabbergasted at the brilliant blue bush outside our door. It really is this blue.

For Californians, this is no big deal. They’re accustomed to indiginous flora that look like they have been hand-painted by the crew at Pixar. But back in the spring of my Canadian memory bank, the early blooms wear a more subtle palette: creamy crocuses, soft pink crab-apple blossoms, the blush of the variegated tulips.

But this is just so in-your-face yabba-dabba-doo pink.

Oh sure, in other places there is the sturdy unapologetic yellow of the forsythia and daffodils, but these flowers tend to be more forthright and unassuming. “I’m yellow. Okay, I’m bright yellow, but let’s not make a fuss about it.” It’s like they all come from Wisconsin and speak like Garrison Keillor.

But this? Who wears orange like this? This kind of boldness has got to originate in an unshakable confidence in the certainly of lots of hot weather to come.

I almost didn’t include this one.

Something about it being Monday morning, and trying to start out the week on the right foot, etc. Also, we try to keep it clean here (not to be confused with “nice” because sometimes I just can’t help myself).

But apparently I am going to include it, so I’ll just say this: I really was attracted to this shot by the water droplets. At first. But double take lead to triple take, which lead to an “oh my!” moment that made me wonder if I should use it at all. But it’s just a flower.

Maybe it’s just me, anyway.

Is it just me?

You know how sometimes your mind will hit a certain trajectory and then everywhere you look, you just see more of the same? I’m surprised now that a couple more bees and a bird or two didn’t show up to be photographed, just so I wouldn’t miss the message…

Spring is here!

*For those new to our site, welcome! And no, you’re not bonkers if you thought,”Wait a minute! Last week-end your neighbors on one side had a farm and on the other side a fine art gallery and studio in Teton Valley. Waddup?” This is true.

It’s also true that we have another home in California where our neighbors on one side have a little condominium just like ours looking out on to a golf course, and our neighbors on the other side also have a little condominium just like ours looking out on to a golf course.

We spend time in both locations as much as we can.