Solitary

I started Blip February 1st of this year and through the cold and gloom of winter I had this tulip in mind. It was destined to be a blip. It's a funny little tulip, that comes up year after year and survives against all odds.

Years ago I planted dozens of tulip bulbs in the fall only to have ONE come up in the spring ~ in a completely different spot. Some rodents (squirrels or chipmunks) ate the others and replanted this one right in the dog's running path! I don't know how it survives each year, but it does. (Everything else gets trampled unless I fence it off.) I have tried bulbs a few times since then, without success. My neighbor planted a ton last fall, and the deer ate all of the flowers before they bloomed. We've sprayed the bulbs with repellant and tried other tricks, but none of the bulbs have the super powers this one seems to have. ;) So I celebrate it each year and look forward to this one solitary spot of color. Typically this is it until the perennials come up several weeks from now.

How's that for drama over a silly little tulip? ;)

I got this shot by holding the camera at the ground. I couldn't see the LCD screen so I had to lay my head in the dirt to focus with the view finder... Was it worth it... I'm not so sure, but I like the way the light looks coming through the petals. Big and Red is nice.