The flower gardens at home are a mess, and I was thinking about cleaning them out when the rain stops. Two weeks ago there were still flowers blooming in them. Now the skeletal remains stand guard over the drowned remnants of marigolds and nasturtiums.

During a break in the weather, I went outside to survey the damage, and see if the marigilds that had sprouted from the seeds of summer were still growing under the old stems. I couldn’t find any evidence of them, although I did see some weeds.

I also saw the distinctive green shoots of tulip bulbs peaking through the brown and gray stalks. I don’t think I’ve ever seem my bulbs growing this early before. I think all this rain has done it. I wonder when they will bloom?