What to do on a warm winter afternoon? If you’re a bee, find a hellebore. Tomorrow, you’ll be sheltered from the cold, so load up on nectar. The next mild weather could be days or weeks away.

What do I do on a mild winter afternoon? I visit the hellebores in bloom and look closely to monitor the progress of others.

There will be surprises. Several snowdrops that typically flower in February are blooming, and I glimpse a bit of color on the Ozark witch hazels. No doubt, I’m not nourished like the bee, but this keeps me going through the winter months.