Winter flowers

Undaunted by frost, rain or neighbor kids playing kickball, these hollyhocks greeted us upon our return.

Today the wind is blowing, and it's spotting rain, like it can't decide whether to actually rain or not.

For some reason I keep thinking of this poem in Fellowship of the Ring, by Tolkien:

Now let the song begin! Let us sing together
Of sun, stars, moon and mist, rain and cloudy weather,
Light on the budding leaf, dew on the feather,
Wind on the open hill, bells on the heather,
Reeds by the shady pool, lilies on the water ...