Plum Blossoms in the winter snow, an auspicious Chinese omen.  Have you ever seen flowers bloom in the winter?  I must admit this is a first for me.  These lovely blooms I photographed today on campus after the snowfall.  In China this is one of the “Four Gentlemen”  or one of the four plants that represent the four seasons in Chinese tradition ink wash art.  The plum blossom represents winter, the orchid for spring, the chrysanthemum  for autumn, and the bamboo for summer.

I photographed bamboo from Tonglu and chrysanthemums from a traditional Chinese ink painting a 16 year old student created.  Now I need to find orchids!  My spring quest!  I am so ready for spring.  Today was the end of our fall semester.  What is spring festival?  I am about to find out.