the first one...

...popped open today. Spider/surprise lilies blooming in the yard. I have planted dozens over the years out in the leaf mulch under all those trees, and saw the first one that opened up this morning. It is out there in the middle of a flock of pink plastic flamingos: if that won't make you smile, nothing will.

Bright red, big blooms. Actually looking sort of like a huge red spider, if you squint and practice using your vivid imagination. Also a surprise! when they pop up out of the ground, as the bulbs are reminded in the fall it's time to put on a show. Easily forgotten locations that get covered up with falling leaves, so you have no memory over the summer that amazing little self-contained bulb is getting ready to put on another show. Then you apply a bit of serendipity=surprised by joy, when one day you see them suddenly coming up out in un-remembered, unexpected places one day, and spreading open their blooms almost while you are watching.