Casulty of winter?

Checking the yard yesterday I made an upsetting discovery. One of the pretty azaleas had snapped of at the base and was lying on the ground. What made it worse is that the leaves were just starting to uncurl, a sure sign of the approaching spring.I'm not sure if it succumbed to a overload of wet snow from the previous week's downfall, a falling tree branch knocked it off or a cat jumped off the fence and landed on it.


This would be the cat most likely to do the damage. Look at the way he is eyeing the azalea. And, sob, look at how beautifully it blossomed last year.


There is nothing left but the stump, so I picked up the branch and buried the broken off part in a pot outside the back door. I don't expect it to magically blossom but at least it doesn't look so forlorn.