Winter Aconite

My favorite spring flower is winter aconite shown below. I had literally hundreds of them in my former yard where they would start flowering often by mid-February. I planted only a few; they readily self-seed - with a little help from me. The leaves which produce and store food for next year's flowers are usually gone by the end of May. The small brown bulbs lie dormant until the next winter. I was hoping when I transplanted some of my perennials and shrubs I would accidentally also import some aconites. The twigs are from a volunteer Weigela shrub I found in the yard; the bulb must have been in the clump of earth with the shrub.

I never get tired of watching Lake Huron and the sky. The surface looks metallic today. We've had some serious wind which always make the view exciting. Look at that amazing sky too. Clicking enlarges photos.

Totty misses the pups who left yesterday. Although they turn eight weeks old on Sunday, she was still nursing them a few times a day. They have been eating solid food for several weeks and could have done OK without her milk; however, the nutrition in mother's milk can't be beat. I never force my moms to wean their pups. I figure nature knows what it's doing. Who am I to second guess it. She's a great mom. Many mothers stop nursing at six weeks. It's also fun to watch her give lessons to the pups. She's in control, loving control.