Flowers Up Close, A Photo Essay

As I look out my window and sip my tea, watching the steady rain and feeling pinched by the cold, my thoughts turn to spring and flowers as a way to fend off melancholy. 

I've photographed hundreds of flowers over the years, as many amateur shutterbugs are wont to do, and I thought I'd share a few so that you, too, could enjoy them as a way to keep the gloominess at bay.