To Arizona this time, with Michael.
They call us “snowbirds” there, even though we’ve seen no snow here this year.
I’m taking this opportunity to post one more photo from Elba, that reminds me a bit of snow,and of birds.
This beautiful flower is a roadside weed. I saw it on strada dei Mulini, a dirt road that leads down from Rio nell’Elba to Rio Marina. The water mills are ruins now which makes the walk rather romantic, even when alone. Of course in this altered state, first sunny day of spring, Italian ruins, I fell head over heels in love with this weed. I couldn’t even find it in any wildflower books of the island or the mediterranean. It wasn’t until I stumbled on it accidentally in an English gardening magazine touting weedy annuals for easy gardening that I found out this lacy beauty was Orlaya grandiflora, or white lace flower. With all my preoccupation with green and yellow. I was startled by the white.
I was as startled by this other weed on the mill road, Borage (Borago officinalis). I know no blue as celestial. No matter how many times I see these flowers I can’t help but stop, and I’m a hard one to stop.