Sunflower

When you think "sunflower", this is not necessarily the image that pops up in your mind, but it's the best I can do. This one grows almost directly underneath one of my bird feeders, so we know its origin. And, you know the story of the horse and the gift, right?

This plant has four more buds on it, so it is likely that it will adorn my garden for several more weeks. Thanks to the birds!

Birdfeeder in Snow

Good thing I bought another ten pounds of bird seeds the other day!

The leaning "stick" on the right side of the picture is a Tulip Poplar or Yellow Poplar that spontaneously manifested itself two feet from my house three years ago; I dug it up a few months ago and replanted it in the spot where a screen to my neighbor's backyard was welcome. Nothing wrong with my neighbor -- I'd just rather look at a tree than a house! This is a 'holding-your-breath' situation; if the tree leaves out and begins to grow again, I think its promise as a screen for the future is pretty secure!