The picture you see above was taken exactly one year ago: April 7, 2010.  It’s a dogwood (Cornus florida) in bloom.

One year later, I can tell you with not a small amount of wonder that there are no dogwoods in bloom.  In my archive perusal, I also found a picture of my lilac bush –also fully in bloom.  Today I checked it: just the top buds– the ones most exposed to the sun and the elements– are starting to open.

That damn groundhog lied: this spring is taking its time.

I don’t mind it, actually, except for the feeling-cheated-by-a-rodent bit: spring is such a fleeting season, it’s nice to see it take its time.  Sometimes things just have to slow down and do it right.  In some ways, as with everything, the fact that the seasons keep us guessing even as we try to peg them down obsessively is a little refreshing.  Life is un-peggable, if you will.  Even if we will all be swallowed by the Atlantic Ocean in less than eighty years on account of global warming, there is a certain comfort to be derived in knowing that there will be some Aprils in between where we may be reaching for our snow boots over our sandals.

I wonder if spring (or autumn?) is taking its time where you are.  Do you feel it’s a welcome slow-down, or are you impatient for the heat or the cold to begin?

07 Apr This entry was published on April 7, 2011 at 10:21 pm. It’s filed under DC Dukkha, Schoolmarmish, Uncategorized and tagged comparison, dogwood, nerd, phenology, Spring. Bookmark the permalink. Follow any comments here with the RSS feed for this post.