Spring, diminished

Spring around here is sometimes not very definite.  When we moved here, I didn't think the spring and fall seasons were definitive at all compared to the east coast. This year, when the trees started to bloom and then got snowed on, was a little odd.  Some years we don't even get snow--there's always some farther north, but the bay here in Tacoma shelters the temperature and the topography runs the storm fronts in from the north, curving along the east foothills, and than sweeps them around to the south of us.  This year we have had several snowstorms.

But ever since we moved into our house in 1980, Reverend Price's majestic magnolia tree across the street has been one of the great pleasures of spring.  It was probably 12 feet high, and it bloomed faithfully every spring before other trees and bushes made up their minds.  Last fall, because it was so high and spreading out so broadly that he felt it was threatening the house roof, he had someone come and cut all those big beautiful branches out.  I was quietly dismayed--it looked butchered, and still does.  It should start to come back next year, and send out shoots from the amputations, but it is barren this year, for the first time in all these many, many years.  I can't look out my window or stand on my porch and drink it in, and I miss it.

I miss redbud trees and dogwoods, they don't grow here.  But the city planted cherry blossoms on our street several years ago, and we have apple trees, so hope is coming.  Our pretty apricot tree tried to die last year, but it's bloomed a little--maybe we'll pretend we are just kids, and sing the "popcorn" song to cheer it on.  Hum it once wherever you are for me! (I looked out the window and what did I see?  Popcorn popping on the apricot tree...)  Flowering will happen, and spring should be visible soon.