Spring is in Bloom

In general, I'm just not a big fan of spring.  I have allergies which make me miserable for two weeks of beautiful weather that could even be classified as "spring-like", and living in the Great Plains, we get severe weather.  I don't mind the occasional thunderstorm, but when it interrupts my sleep, I get crabby.  I'm also not too fond of the threat of tornadoes.  So far, I've been lucky enough never to have had to experience one, but I've had my share of close calls.  In my book, fall is just so much better.

But, there are parts of spring that even the most gorgeous fall day can't top.  For instance, spring flowers. 

Those are the first two blooms off my rose and peony bushes. 


Ahhhh, lilacs, peonies, and roses.  I could just fill my house with them.  The scent, the beautiful blooms...everything about them draws me in.  We only have a couple of peony bushes and a rose bush, but one of our neighbors has the most gorgeous "peony hedge".  Another has their lilac bush positioned perfectly so that the scent wafts in our living room windows.  Someday I'll get to the yard project I have planned in which I plant nothing but lilacs, peonies, and roses, but until then, I'll live vicariously through my neighbors.

My neighbors' peonies.  Gorgeous, right?!

In addition to swooning over flora, I enjoy the fauna that emerges in the spring.  While the husband and I do live in a city, and a pretty large one, at that, we are lucky enough to live in an area with what we like to deem "nature".  Our backyard is adjacent to a wooded area, so we don't have neighbors in that direction.  We're also near open fields and a creek.  Our neighborhood doesn't exactly read "metropolitan" or "suburban", which is what we really love about it.

Living so close to a wooded area, we get a variety of woodland creatures passing through or near our backyard.

It's not only fun to watch "nature" passing through, it's fun to watch our own critters enjoy the view.  The neighbors' cat fancies herself a great hunter, stalking such large prey!

What is your favorite part about spring?