Tulips

So where was THIS when it was -30C and snowing, LOL? Funny, I still crave bright colours, despite the fact that our weather is warming up. Yes, I know there are already "too many" images of Tulip centres on Flickr - but, while some people hate them, I love them, ha! A beautiful day today, and I went on another walk at 12 Mile Coulee. Wanted to check out the Lichens and early spring wildflowers again. It's a good workout, too - which I definitely need : )

An unusual (to me, at least) Tulip in a friend's garden. I love the pointed tips of the petals and the pink "brushstroke" pattern.

Bought a small bunch of these gorgeous yellow Tulips from Safeway the other day. The petals are more pointed than on other Tulips that I have bought, so I look forward to seeing what they look like when open.

Thank you again, Safeway! There were two Tulips like this one and two plainer, brighter pink ones, in the bunch I bought today.

Ooops... another tulip photo kind of slipped in there, LOL! The orange paintbrush strokes still fascinate me.

Simplicity, I guess : ) Just happened to catch sight of this beautiful Tulip in a friend's garden recently. I thought it was such a pretty colour and it looked so perfect. We were out for a good part of the day today on a beautiful walk, north west of the city, in a huge Provincial Park that is yet not open to the public (and probably won't be for another 1-3 years?). It's called the Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park and is incredibly beautiful land. Will add a link to information about it when I get home this evening - I'm about to dash out down a few gravel roads : ) I can't take one more step, so driving a car sounds just what I need. Rain and cloud are in the forecast for the next four days, and the sun that I saw ten minutes ago seems to have already disappeared. Better dash out while it is still dry. See ya later ....

Another photo from my archives, taken on 16 March 2010. Can't complain about the wonderfully mild weather we've had for a good part of this winter, but it will feel good to eventually see flowers in bloom.

A beautiful golden Tulip seen growing at the Reader Rock Garden recently. Once again, I'm posting really late today. I'm having such a crazy few days at the moment, out almost all the time, but trying to add the occasional photo in case friends might want to see them, friends who were out on the same hikes/walks as I have been on. Was on a long walk in Weaselhead called Dawn Chorus, from 3:30 this morning till roughly 7:15 a.m.. Called in to get a sandwich locally for "breakfast" and then repeated the walk with some birding friends from 9:00 a.m. till about 12:00 noon. I was then very fortunate to be invited to go along with a friend to do her Mountain Bluebird nesting box route this afternoon, outside the city. Thanks so much, Sue! We saw a mixture of Bluebirds and Tree Swallows (plus one Wren's nest with eggs) and anything from an empty box to a box with nest, eggs, babies and even a couple of adults inside them. Just like yesterday, I will be going on a long, full-day botanizing hike tomorrow. Then, on Monday, I can totally collapse and hopefully get some sleep!!!

Happy Spring, everyone! As so often happens, this Tulip was already starting to wilt by this morning. My camera lens touched a petal when I was trying to take a macro and off it came. Then a second one fell. Managed to get a few shots with the remaining petals intact. Just loved the flaming streaks on the textured, white petals.