Each year on New Year’s Day, I count the flowers that are in blooming in our yard. Not just blooming, but in full flower. I began in 1996 and have continued ever year since. The lowest count was last year when only two of them, primroses and violets, were in full flower. The most I have seen was 10. This year, it looks like I might have primroses, violets, geraniums, a yellow rose, and a pink azalea. In Baker, or anywhere east of the Cascades, you would make headlines if you had flowers on New Year’s Day. I remember one …