Tulip waiting

It has been almost two weeks and a trip to San Francisco since I last posted. Usually at this time I leave town with flowers ready to bloom and return with them flourishing and moving on to other things. But this time, time stood still. The same tulip waiting to open is perhaps more rosy now, but still with lips sealed closed, waiting for sun and warmth to pry them open. Not today. Cooly it shivers beneath the icy falling rain. Maybe tomorrow. Maybe the next day. Waiting.
Meanwhile, the tulip magnolias have dried and shriveled, wondering if the season is over or not yet begun. Usually mid-April is the time for full bloom. Often a second, weaker, round of blooms follows in mid-July. What will emerge this year? Even spring allergies are hiding in wait.