an unexpected gift

As I was out and about in the yard yesterday, I noticed a lone flower in the midst of the pachysandra ground cover. A flower that I hadn't planted and never seen before. I posted the photo on Facebook asking if anyone knew what it was. I quickly received the answer from quite a few people: white trillium. What is so cool about this is that it's the provincial flower and emblem of Ontario.

I was born in Ontario. :-)

  It's a protected plant  in Ontario provincial parks and conservation areas. Certain species of this plant are also protected in Ohio and Michigan. How this one lone flower came to be at my house is beyond me. I'm counting it as a gift.

And speaking of gifts from nature, I walked into my back yard today and was immediately hit with the scent of lilacs. Yep, my one big lilac bush was finally in full bloom! I wish I could cut some and bring them in the house, but my allergies are terrible. Unfortunately, these beautiful blooms make me sneeze.

Hope your weekend is filled with wonder and beauty!