Tenacity, thy name is tulip!

I deem it next to sacrilege to say this out loud, much less put it in print to be seen by anyone.  I don't care for tulips!  I don't know why.  It's irrational for someone who spends hours trying to find the perfect flower shot to admit an abhorrence for a blooming plant, but there you have it.  38 years ago, when we moved into this house, there were two red tulip plants on the side.  I was younger then.  Tolerance was much more likely.  I figured if I ignored them, they would eventually die.  Wrong.  About ten years ago, a little less forgiving, I dug down and eliminated the bulbs...or so I thought.  Next spring, two red tulips.  I'm not much of a conspiracy theorist, but I'm thinking someone sneaked in under dark of night and planted them.  It is now a battle of wills.  I'm hoping benign neglect will be their undoing.  And yet, coming home today...

And I'm not sure, but upon closer inspection, I could swear it's laughing at me!

Live long and prosper, tulip...without my help!  

And you, my readers, live long and prosper with my help and my love!