All the pretty flowers

Owen was riding his trike today and picked up a stick on the driveway to put in the rear basket, where he likes to store yard miscellany...a rock, a stick, some leaves, etc. My eye happened to catch a sight I couldn't quite place as he lifted the lid to try to put in the stick. 'Owen, what's that in your basket?' say I. 'You [I] put round leaves in there!' says he. I go over, lift the lid, and the basket is piled high with 3/4" diameter rhododendron buds from the large bush by the front door. So much for the welcome splash of pink we would normally have hoped for come next May :P