Here are the trees in our front yard two weeks ago.

(They are Bradford Pear trees)

It is so funny how it works here:  the trees sort of do the winter death thingie, but only for a very short period of time...say, perhaps December....then, come January, we get some warm weather bursts and the trees are confused and start to get their buds already.  It is funny as it is still winter.

Anyhow, these are so beautiful.  The bees love them (you hear them buzzing away in swarms...but they leave you alone).  They sort of stink, however.

And, that's my story. :)