The wildflower that keeps on giving: Sweet William (Dianthus barbatos). #SpringFlowers #WildFlowers #SweetWilliam #TrumbullCT #Connecticut

The downy woodpeckers are enjoying some breakfast at our birdfeeder. #BirdWatching #DownyWoodpecker #Woodpecker #TrumbullCT #Connecticut

Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the Connecticut State Flower: Mountain Laurel. #SpringFlowers #Flowers #MountainLaurel #TrumbullCT #Connecticut

The longer they bloom, the *sweeter* these Sweet William flowers are. :-) #SpringFlowers #Wildflowers #SweetWilliam #TrumbullCT #Connecticut

The first Mountain Laurel flowers of the season are opening!!! #SpringFlowers #Flowers #MountainLaurel #TrumbullCT #Connecticut

The sweet William flowers (Dianthus Barbados) continue to delight. For wildflowers, they are surprisingly robust and lasting. #WildFlowers #SpringFlowers #Flowers #SweetWilliam #TrumbullCT #Connecticut

Someone is VERY thankful that the old bread went stale. 😊 #Squirrel #SuburbanWildlife #TrumbullCT #Connecticut

The tiny white lilacs that we bought for Mom 2 Mother’s Days ago are finally in *full bloom*. Sorry she is not here to see them, but am sure she is seeing things far more beautiful in heaven. #Lilacs #SpringFlowers #Flowers #TrumbullCT #Connecticut

This western honey bee is *so* happy that the little white lilacs are open for business! #Pollinators #SpringFlowers #HoneyBee #Lilacs #TrumbullCT #Connecticut

While I was grabbing my lunch, Mr. Cardinal decided it was time for his… and was happy to see a sunflower-seed bell waiting for him. #BirdWatching #Cardinal #MrCardinal #TrumbullCT #Connecticut

We had some adorable early-morning visitors today, taking a leisurely stroll before deciding a jog was much better! #Deer #SuburbanWildlife #NestCamera #TrumbullCT #Connecticut

I am amazed how many variants of the Sweet WIlliam (Dianthus barbatus) flower are showing up in our backyard. All from a single blind planting of wildflower seeds. #wildflowers #SpringFlowers #SweetWilliam #Flowers #TrumbullCT #Connecticut

A new variant of the Sweet William flowers (i.e. Dianthus) popped up today! They are a beautiful magenta color. #SpringFlowers #WildFlowers #Flowers #SweetWilliam #TrumbullCT #Connecticut

These pretty pink flowers *just* started opening in our backyard. They are apparently Dianthus barbatus or the "sweet William”. They bloomed from wildflower seeds I sowed last year in a wild area of our backyard. #SpringFlowers #Wildflowers #Dianthus #SweetWilliam #TrumbullCT #Connecticut

Mr. Cardinal is playing peekaboo in the apple tree. #BirdWatching #Cardinal #TrumbullCT #Connecticut

All of the azaleas are now BURSTING with vibrant color! It’s so nice to see all the different varieties that nature and cultivars have come up with. #SpringFlowers #Azaleas #Flowers #TrumbullCT #Connecticut

A friend of mine calls these Allium flowers “organic fireworks”. You can really see why today, despite the rain! #SpringFlowers #Flowers #Azalea #TrumbullCT #Connecticut

Greater Celandine flower in the backyard. Related to the poppy. #SpringFlowers #Flowers #GreaterCelandine #TrumbullCT #Connecticut

This dandelion is ready to seed the yard. So annoying and yet so beautiful! #SpringFlowers #Flowers #Dandelion #TrumbullCT #Connecticut

Our encore azalea plants are blooming now. They typically trail the primary azalea plans by several weeks. #SpringFlowers #Flowers #Azalea #TrumbullCT #Connecticut

We only have 2 flowers from the dozen bulbs I planted, but the #Allium #flowers remain lovely and dramatic. #SpringFlowers #TrumbullCT #Connecticut

Victoria Fox stopped by for another visit, this time she was close to the house and it was the early afternoon. Normally, we see her around sunset. #Fox #RedFox #SuburbanWildlife #TrumbullCT #Connecticut

Prime with ads. Just how Kubrick intended.

I planted about a dozen Allium bulbs last year in the front and back gardens, but only 2 little ones survived to bloom. They produce bunches of flowers like this that look like fireworks. #SpringFlowers #Allium #Flowers #TrumbullCT #Connecticut

Our Nest Camera caught a wild turkey strolling thru the yard today! Such a majestic creature. #BirdWatching #WildTurkey #Turkey #TrumbullCT #Connecticut

The wallflowers continue to flower beautifully. I had no idea they existed before this year, and now they are a bright start to my every day. #SpringFlowers #Wallflowers #Wildflowers #TrumbullCT #Connecticut

The azaleas are finally starting to pop! Such bright flowers on such an unassuming little bush. Always a joy on these Spring days. #SpringFlowers #Flowers #Azalea #TrumbullCT #Connecticut

Tiny but beautiful in our backyard. This is the “Wallflower” originally from Greece, apparently, but now wide-spread in the USA. #Wildflower #Wallflower #SpringFlowers #TrumbullCT #Connecticut

I finally tried “beans on toast”, the classic British meal. I used a recipe that I found on a British website. Not bad, but a little bland. I probably need to use better/sharper cheddar next time or to add some spices. #BeansOnToast #AmericanTriesBritishFood #LunchExperiment

Mom may have left this world, but her sensation lilacs (planted by my father, the love of her life) continue to enrich and delight. #SensationLilac #Lilacs #Flowers #TrumbullCT #Connecticut

Our neighbor is doing some work with heavy equipment. The little boy in me is always delighted seeing the power lifters at work. #Construction #PowerEquipment #TrumbullCT #Connecticut

It’s a busy, soggy day in the backyard as all the animals try to snatch food between cloudbursts. #RedBelliedWoodpecker #Woodpecker #Squirrel #BlackSquirrel #GraySquirrel #TrumbullCT #Connecticut

A robin’s egg is always a sign of hope in the future. Life always finds a way. #BirdWatching #RobinsEgg #TrumbullCT #Connecticut

Lovely sensation lilacs in the side yard. #Flowers #SpringFlowers #Lilacs #TrumbullCT #Connecticut

Beautiful pink lilacs in the front yard. #Flowers #SpringFlowers #Lilacs #TrumbullCT #Connecticut

Filed under "Did what was asked of them, but entirely missed the point." #Oops #UPSFail #MadeMeLaugh

We had an adorable white-thoated sparrow stop by… but he didn’t hang out for more than a moment! #BirdWatching #Bird #Sparrow #WhiteThroatedSparrow #TrumbullCT #Connecticut

This house sparrow may look grumpy, but he was happy to sniff and explore the beautiful apple blossoms during his visit. #BirdWatching #HouseSparrow #Sparrow #Bird #TrumbullCT #Connecticut

The lilacs are blooming! The sensation lilacs (white and purple) were planted by Dad for Mom. The pink ones were a Mothers Day gift from my brother and me a few years back. #Lilacs #SensationLilacs #Flowers #TrumbullCT #Connecticut

Gray Squirrel on the prowl for snacks. #Squirrel #SuburbanWildlife #TrumbullCT #Connecticut

Western Honey Bee dining on the nectar of Apple Blossoms and distributing pollen. #AppleBlossoms #Bee #HoneyBee #Pollinators #TrumbullCT #Connecticut

Lovely white pear tree blossoms seen at Big Y in Shelton, CT. #SpringFlowers #PearBlossoma #Blosoms #Flowers #SheltonCT #Connecticut

The black-capped chickadee knows our flowering apple tree is a great place for snacks. #Chickadee #BlackCappedChickadee #Bird #TrumbullCT #Connecticut

It’s always great seeing the red-bellied woodpecker enjoying himself at our birdfeeder. It brought Mom joy every day he showed up. #BirdFeeder #RedBelliedWoodpecker #Woodpecker #Bird #TrumbullCT #Connecticut

The sun is out, the warm temps are back, so the pollinators are back at work! #Bee #BumbleBee #Pollinators #SpringFlowers #TrumbullCT #Connecticut

A quick and cute black-capped chickadee feasting on apple blossoms outside my office window. #BIrdWatching #Chickadee #BlackCappedChickadee #Bird #TrumbullCT #Connecticut

Tiny but beautiful! I really love grape hyacinth (a.k.a. mascara) flowers. They are more lovely the closer you look, and yet can fade into the background if you’re not careful. #SpringFlowers #GrapeHyacinth #Muscari #Flowers #TrumbullCT #Connecticut

Peekaboo! #BirdWatching #MrsCardinal #Cardinal #Bird #TrumbullCT #Connecticut

A humble bumble bee lighting on an Apple Blossom to feast on the nectar within! #BumbleBee #Pollinators #Bee #TrumbullCT #Connecticut #SpringFlowers

A handsome male house finch feasts on the blooming apple blossoms. The winter temperatures aren’t discouraging him at all. #BirdWatching #HouseFinch #Bird #TrumbullCT #Connecticut