SRS, thanks for the compliment. I don't use a separate close up lens. My camera (Nikon 5400) just has a setting to use for close ups. I've put labels on my flower photos on Flickr. They are pansy and tulip (top) and andromeda and daffodil (bottom). I'm so sorry that you lost your digital photos when your computer was stolen. I always back mine up on CD to be safe. Flickr is easy to use and its uploads are fast, in contrast to Nikon's site. I'm on the tail end of a migraine and I could still use it, so it must be easy.

Cats, spring in Cornwall sounds wonderful. Imagine keeping the doors open to let fresh air in! That thought is like a breath of fresh air to me. What is the URL for the UK phenology site you mentioned?

It's a gray and cloudy day here in the suburbs of Washington DC. I looked out the window and saw a cardinal perched on one of the upper branches of a red maple tree. The maple has buds, but no blooms yet. The blooms are so pretty and cause so much trouble for those of us with allergies. Here is a photo of a red maple I took last spring.