Spring Images from the U.P. (Upper Peninsula) of Michigan

I started the first of a 20 hour class on perennial gardening last night. I am so excited. The class is being taught by a man who has the third largest botanical garden in the U.S. (and the largest botanical garden in Michigan and Wisconsin) and whose garden has been featured in many national magazines. His name is Jim Somers and he runs the Carp River Gardens right outside of Marquette, Michigan, which is about 27 miles from where I live. I already learned some neat things about keeping deer out of gardens and preparing the soil last night.

So, for today, I decided to post some pictures I captured when I went for a walk yesterday morning in my neighborhood by the lake. As you will see, the snow is finally melting and some of the earliest spring flowers are finally in their glory.

This is a picture of our neighbors house, which is right next door to our shoreline. You can see that the ice has melted a little more from the last pictures I posted on my blog:

This one is from our shore, facing more out toward the lake:

You can see that the ice melting has caused a little flooding up into the shore. This typically is larger, but the meltdown has been slower this year:

Crocuses (finally!!):

I have these little blue flowers in my yard. They have bulbs when you dig them up. They are tiny (these photos are closeups). I don't know what they are, I will have to ask at a future gardening class. Does anyone know what they are?:

More crocuses:

Here is a few pictures of our house in the spring:

So, that is it for today....I have been tagged and I won two awards, so I hope to be posting those posts either later today or tomorrow.
Happy Spring everyone!! (and I am still checking things off my spring list too!)