Pink Flowering Dogwood at the Nittany Lion Inn

Everything is blooming here and it's beautiful and it's also insane, because I can't decide where to go or what to photograph first. So I am trying to do it ALL. I stop everywhere I can think of for pictures. I have taken so many because it's all so amazing here; I barely get time to sort through them and do any editing.

I have not posted even HALF of the shots I've taken, anywhere; I don't have time. And of course, it's heart-breaking to have to pick a single photo to represent any one of these April days, but that, my friends, is the happy/sad tyranny of Blip.

My travels on this day took me to the Arboretum (happy gasp!), where about half of the tulips are open now. Before the week's end, I'll show you some more of those. I also visited the horses, and met a sweet little filly with BLUE EYES. Yes, I will hope to introduce you to her too, soon. And no, I've never seen blue eyes on a horse before.

And then - oh, happy dance! - I met some good friends for lunch at the Nittany Lion Inn, in a private little writing room of our own, around a table set for six. Just one of our group was missing, and we (the self-named "risky bisquers") enjoyed big bowls of lobster bisque together.

Except for "just a cup" Maggie, who had just a little bisque (meet my bisque-loving friends in the extra photo to this blip posting). It's always cool to see people united for a common cause, even if it is only to stop and savor sweetly that which is best in life: friendship, and bisque.

While I was at the Nittany Lion Inn, I stole a few moments to check out what I call the "secret courtyard" inside the Nittany Lion Inn. I only learned of it a few years ago, more's the pity. But hey, I know about it now, and perhaps that's all that matters.

The pretty little courtyard has several pink trees in bloom right now. The one tree had a more prolific set of blooms than the other, and so I focused on it and snapped this photo. So please enjoy this shot of the pink flowering dogwood at the Nittany Lion Inn, and know that I was filled with joy to take it.  :-)

The soundtrack: Donovan, with The Lullaby of Spring.