Yesterday I showed you some of the first redbud flowers of the year. While I was taking those photos I couldn’t help but notice that on the ground under the redbud tree were these Carolina desert chicories (Pyrrhopappus carolinianus) starting to boom as well. I found that more than a little ironic since just a few days earlier, I had written about them being one of our first blooms each spring. Now here they are! I still haven’t heard what the groundhog decided yesterday, but I’m pretty sure winter is on its way out, at least in central Florida. You might also notice a small fly on the flower in the second photo. I take that as a good sign that soon there will be insects roaming around, too.