It must be February

You know it is February at Bramble Creek Farm

when flowers start to appear.

At the entrance to our home
is a bouquet of yellow and purple carnations,
a gift from my mother for my birthday.

You will know it is February when Lunette gets the urge

to bake heart shaped cookies.
These are from the Betty Crocker
"Cooky Book"
Lunette received from her mother in 1964.
The filling is from cherries Lunette pitted and canned
with her friend Chloe.

You know it's February when the violets bloom
in the yard around the house.

A single blue violet.

A single pink violet,

This February Sanford gave Lunette these beautiful roses,
to say I Love You, even after Lunette abandoned
him all day to help at a friend's wedding.
I love you, too, Sanford.

Lunette started growing African Violets while going to school
in Portland, Oregon,in 1974.
They always seem to do their best blooming
in February. It seems reasonable,
since the violet is February's flower.

These are some tiny buds from the primroses,
in a teeny, tiny vase Sanford found
as a cast away at the Manor.

There is snow in those clouds.
A sure sign of February is beautiful weather one day
and cold, snowy weather the next.

February always brings the promise of spring
to the heart weary of winter.
The tips of bulbs begin shooting
up through the ground.
These are some early miniature daffodils.

The last sure sign that it is February
is the bare branches of the poplar trees
waving in the wind.
Last night we listened to the howling wind
all night long. The forecast was for snow
but the wind drove it away.
Instead, we had blue sky.
Tonight, we'll have snow.