...full of sound and fury, signifying nothing ~ Shakespeare

Shakespeare's quote seemed apt, our weekend was full of sound and fury as thunderstorms passed over us pushed on by 50 mph winds. Unfortunately we received almost no rain.

This morning the television news is full of stories about the torrential rains and flooding in Tennessee. My heart goes out to all the families caught up in this disaster. This morning I'm hoping our Tennessee blogging friends are online to let us know they are OK.

A few weeks ago I enjoyed seeing photos of cherry trees blooming south of here. So far, I have never been lucky enough to visit DC at cherry blossom time.

For the last three weeks northern Illinois has been blessed with a stunning display of crabapple blooms.

Driving around town, running errands, I snapped a few photos I hope you will enjoy.

I may be prejudiced, but to me, our crab apples look every bit as beautiful as the cherries. They bloom in every shade from pure white to almost red.

This year has been a great year for the crab apples. They like cool, sunny weather and we have had an abundance in April.

Then and now plus Wildlife News from Miss B

These lovely blooms are already fallen. There was such an abundance of flowers in May that I couldn't squeeze them all into my twice weekly blog schedule. Still, I could not completely ignore the beauty of the crabapple blossoms. They deserve mention and a photo or two. They bloomed a week or two before the lilacs this year and like the lilacs their time is very brief. Neither the lilacs nor the crabapples have much to recommend them during the 51 weeks of the year when they aren't blooming. We gardeners put up with straggly bushes and problematic trees for just that one glorious week that makes them worthwhile.

These garish tulips are still blooming. It's been a very cool and rainy spring and my bulbs have bloomed for weeks. Nepata is beginning to flower in the background.

A very late blooming daffodil.

This delicate geranium is restful after the hot reds and yellows of the late blooming bulbs. The name geranium is from the Greek geranos (crane) that referred to the long crane-like beak of the seed pod. Some are called bloody cranesbills because the foliage turns bright red in autumn.

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Wildlife rumors by Miss B


This story just in from our intrepid gossip columnist Miss B.

Mrs Rose Breasted Grosbeak has been seen at a trendy, upscale restaurant dining with the handsome Indigo Bunting. Neither Rose nor Indigo would give our reporter a comment.

Later that evening Mr. Rose Breasted Grosbeak was seen dining at the same restaurant--alone. Are the Grosbeaks calling it quits? Has Rose really dumped Mr G and run off with the handsome Indigo? A spokesman for Mr. Grosbeak denies these rumors saying the three are just very good friends. Our reporter Miss B will have updates as more news breaks.

Please stop by Rambling Woods Nature Notes for more birding and wildlife discussions.