Every year, when I come to San Jose, I am delighted to see flowers. It amuses my sister to see me taking pictures of what seem to her to be unexceptional blooms, but when you come from a snowscape, greenery and blossoms are a lovely contrast.
Today I was playing with the macro lens on my Olympus camera in the courtyard of the condo where I live, and these are the results.
Snowbird of Paradise 
I feel like E.T. when I see your photos. “Home”.
Oh, you are much better looking than ET, Mary Beth.
I simply adore ET! In the ’80’s I had a small ET doll sort of thing that ‘rode shotgun’ with me in my car. I always hoped ET type beings would come visit, dreamer that I am. Movie ET was adorable I thought and I still sob when he leaves Earth, yes, even in the commercial now!
It’s one of my favourites, too. If aliens do come from another planet, I hope they are like ET.
I also agree with you about the Brickyard courtyard feeling like “home”. Every time I come back here, I get that sense of belonging. Even knowing that it isn’t perfect, I still love looking out of my living room at the garden.
Beautiful!
It is lovely, isn’t it?
Yes. Flowers have still not become mundane to me either. My husband tells stories of his geraniums blooming year-round when he lived in southern climates. I just marvel at the thought.