Spring spectacle

Aren't these pretty?  There's a yearly tale that comes to mind whenever I see them on our front lawn.  They're grape hyacinths.  I remember that time in the the fall of 1993 when Jackie ordered a whole package full of bulbs from a mail order catalogue.  There were somewhere around 89 bulbs in that order.  We think it was 1993 because we remember that she was pregnant when these were planted.  Of course, if you think about the first few years of our marriage and think she was pregnant, you are probably right....  She had the intention of planting them herself, but couldn't bend to the ground to do the work.  So, yours truly planted the bulbs.  I remember putting every one of those bulbs where Jackie wanted them.  Most of the flowers were in one of the beds, and the last to be planted were the grape hyacinths.  Jackie wanted them on the lawn creating a half circle around our dogwood tree.  I was tired and didn't really feel like digging at that point, but being the agreeable and obedient kind of guy I am, I quickly dug the tiny holes and stuck them hyacinth suckers in the ground, grumbling with fatigue.  Tulips, crocuses, grape hyacinths, and more.....just anticipating a lovely garden in the spring.  Yeah, those grape hyacinths in the grass were pretty, but they grew during the first few weeks of the lawn mowing season.  So, every year when I mow at the beginning of the season, I must leave a half circle of grass so we can enjoy the splendor of those beautiful flowers.  We've had neighbors and passersby marvel at their color, and we've even had little girl scouts picking them.  Nowadays, many of the bulbs, most notably the tulips, don't bloom any more, perhaps falling victim to the squirrels and rabbits.  The ones on the lawn, though, still flourish in their purple splendor, weeding their way into my path as I mow the lawn.  I respectfully mow around them, creating that grassy semicircle.  Then within three or so weeks, those purple spectacles turn brown and I mow their stupid ugly little heads down and continue on my merry lawn cutting way!