It will be a while before my lilacs bloom. The bushes in my back yard have the tiniest, little green leaves on them. The tulips are pushing their bright, green leaves up through the brown, dead leaves from last autumn. But I can’t expect their blossoms to appear just yet. My irises, my day lilies; all sprouting, but it will be weeks if not months before we will see any bright colors liven up our dreary yard.

My six year old daughter is supposed to bring a sign of spring to school. She chose a stuffed bunny, since “bunnies hop around in the spring.” Well, I haven’t seen any rabbits in our yard yet, but the robins have been searching for worms. The squirrels are eagerly pawing through the grass and chasing each other willy nilly up and down the trees.

As I was gazing out the window at the mostly brown landscape, a flash of purple caught my eye. I looked closer in amazement. I grabbed my camera, ran outside, and saw this beautiful sight:

A crocus, blooming right in my back yard.

A surprising treasure of color, lurking in my backyard — spring IS just around the corner!

For more simple moments that show the bigger picture, visit Melissa at Peanut Butter in My Hair.