Magnolia tree

When we moved into our house in late 2006 our front yard was a forest! We've since undertaken a very serious deforestation effort and after clearing out 9 trees and countless bushes, and making many many trips to the lawn debris recycling plant, we can finally see out of our windows!
The one tree that we decided to save was our magnolia tree. I look forward to April every year now because of how beautiful it is when it blooms. Just this morning I noticed that the buds are starting to get nice and plump just waiting to burst open and give us a brief but much enjoyed flurry of color. Last year I photographed the tree while in bloom and thought I would post a couple of shots to remind myself that for at least a week in April people will focus on the tree and not the disgusting yard that's begging for us to finish our project.