Spring is only 11 days away, the weather is improving, and the Daffodils are flowering!
This beautiful 'double' variety showed up growing in the ditch next to the road we're on, so I decided to steal a few, dug them up and transplanted them into my garden.
I hope they're going to establish themself here.

Inside the house my Amaryllis also finally 'got the message' and is showing off it's gorgeous dark-red flowers:

                                         

Last Tuesday of course marked the date of another Mardi Gras, aka Fat Tuesday.

               

Despite the devastating Jan. 1 truck attack, that killed 14 people on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, the parades there did go through (under heavy security measures) and thank the heavens nothing happened!

The Krewe of Rex in the iconic Mardi Gras colors, purple, green, and gold, drew huge crowds as usual.
(The three colors have symbolic meanings: purple represents justice, green stands for faith, and gold symbolizes power. The colors are used on everything from the floats to costumes!)

                                        

Since we've spend some time in Louisiana, where we attended several parades, we're still celebrating this day every year with the baking of some King Cake.
I tried yet another recipe this year, basically since I almost forgot to make it and didn't have much time or ingredients, but managed to put together a 'cake' made from (store-bought) cinnamon-rolls!
I basically un-rolled them, sprinkled them with some more cinnamon, butter and pecans and sort of breaded them back together.
Added some sprinkles in those royal colors and voila!
                                                    

Not the prettiest cake, although it did look better in reality, but it tasted just fine!

The pond is attracting lots of (different) ducks at the moment, I think they're out scouting for possible nesting grounds/waters.
This male Ring-neck Duck and his two ladies are here almost every day:

Getting some quick zzz's in ..

And this Lesser Scaup seems interested in our pond as well, although he hasn't brought his wife by yet:

 

 
The Newts have been stirring for a while already. There must be hundreds in the pond!
  

                                               

                                                

And look who are back? The #@$(*^! noisy Bullfrogs! I've only seen a few so far but I bet there are a huge number of them as well!
I only recently realized that Bullfrogs are the frogs who's legs are the southern delicacy we've actually eaten while we were in Louisiana! I just don't know if I could kill and eat them ... I'm  going to be tempted though ... that horrible noise!
                

And last but not least, the main story of this week was probably this:

                                     

Yup! Going back for an other visit to the motherland!
The last time we went is already 2.5 years ago .. wow .. how did that happen?

James is staying home this time so I have to fly by myself, which I swore I wasn't going to do anymore, but there you have it.
Finances are a big part of it, or better said the cost of a ticket. I mean, we have it, but $1300!! Holy smokes!
Fortunately my mom is picking up the tab for this one so I'm very happy about that!

About 7 weeks to go, but who's counting?