a very tiny and rather unexpected gift

Across the Bored was going to go on a long-winded tirade against the evils of idiotic emails and how many people don’t actually read what we write in response but it seemed a tiresome and rather awful way to protract our annoyance: we’ll save that sort of thing for our Facebook page where we are sure to find a suitably snide cartoon to match our crankiness. Now that that is over with it is on to more pleasant pastures with this fortnight’s theme…

We were pleasantly surprised to find the two tiny blooms, smaller than a thumbnail, placed next to our keyboard the other day – in our own garden small green shoots are just beginning to poke out of the soil and it will be awhile before anything spectacular blossoms with any kind of gusto. In the “wilder” bits of our urban environment things seem to be progressing much quicker, it is as if without any gardener’s expectations they pop out at will, calling to us from the blasted brown grass and crackly hedgerows like miniature floral sirens. There is no way to domesticate these beauties, they are of the moment for once picked they quickly fade. Like much else that we seek to immortalize, we took a picture, or rather many pictures, and later placed the sadly shrivelling blooms between the pages of an agenda. One guesses that there is a single stem or bounteous bouquet for every, or no, occasion and this fortnight’s Big 5 Challenge would inquire:

“What is your favourite Flower” – Irises exotic, roses by the score, daffodils, sweet tendrils, petunias by the door, sweet peas, lilies or birds of paradise, grand or wild, fragrant or mild, a pot of something nice …

We would love to know what flora strikes your fancy.

For all those who are new readers to Across the Bored, here are some guidelines for the challenge: HOW DOES THIS WORK?

1.  I will post some commentary such as the above on one of the five Ws (WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN or WHY and sometimes HOW) and then ask you to respond on the same.
2. Your point of view on the current week’s challenge can take any form: a reply in the comment box, in a new post with a quote, a motto or saying, an essay, poem or opinion of yours or attributed to someone else, a piece of music, a song, a video, a work of art, photograph, graffiti, drawing or scribble – but it has to be about the topic!
3. Challenge yourself to dig deep for an answer.
4. The Challenge will be open for 14 days (there will be a reminder post at the 7 day mark) after which I will post another.
5. ENJOY, have FUN and TELL your friends and fellow bloggers.

SO – Create your Big 5 Challenge post

1. Then add a link to your blog in my comment box.
2. To make it easy for others to check out your post, title your blog post “The Big 5 Challenge” and add the same as a tag.
3. If you would like your reader to see what others are presenting for the same challenge, add a link to the “Big 5” challenge on your own blog.
4. Feel free to pick up your badge on The Big 5 Challenge page.
5. Remember to Follow to get your weekly (hopefully) reminders.