A Spring Flower Offering?

My kids were playing in the back yard yesterday, and when I peeked to check on them, I found this! Oh my gosh, it was so beautiful, I couldn't stop taking pictures. It looked like it was a world away from our sodden Portland spring. Maybe an Indian flower offering. I'm hoping it will usher in spring in our part of the world.

The kids thought the flowers that had already fallen from the camellia tree were so beautiful! Miss Mae even called the really dead one in the middle, "the golden one". I think they have the right outlook on life. Just because these blooms are not in their prime on the tree doesn't make them any less beautiful. In fact it makes them MORE beautiful. More interesting. More full of character... I took about 1000 photos, but trimmed them down to add to flickr if you'd like to see more.