A late afternoon walk through the neighborhood with Drew. Wonderful company and lots of lovely things along the way, including yellow lady bugs.

Funky purple blooms on a vine are winding all the way up a power line — so cool.

And my personal favorite, we saw lots of surprise lilies. I was introduced to the surprise lily several years ago. These flowers pop up out of nowhere (hence, the surprise). The first time I saw one was the day I lost my sweet little pug, Tia. After coming home from the vet’s office without my beloved little girl, I saw in my yard this strange, solitary stalk without any leaves and a single bud at the top. I didn’t even know what it was, but for some reason I took comfort in it. Over the coming days, I kept an eye on this weird plant as its lovely blooms unfolded. When it was in fully opened, I went online to find out what it was. Come to find out, not only is this flower known as a “surprise lily,” it is also known as “the resurrection lily.” Okay, really? I couldn’t help but cry. A coincidence? Oh perhaps, but I don’t think so. For a dog that gave everything she had while she was here, it’s not surprising that she found a way to give more after she was gone. So today I know them as “Tia’s flowers.” And I say “thank you” every time I see them.