I’ve broken out with Spring Fever and don’t want to work on characterization now. In fact, I’m being downright cantankerous about it.
It’s not the sort of spring I used to wish for when I lived in Michigan. I couldn’t wait until the dirty snow and slush had dried up and disappeared and the green spikes of the bulb flowers were pushing up out of the ground.
You can tell when spring arrives in the southwest when you notice the snakes have woken up from their long winter naps and by the blossoming of the Sweet Acacia trees. These events are accompanied by dirty desert air which coats my throat and sinuses.
We go all winter without having to worry about whether a snake in the yard means danger (the rattle alarm) or not. Then one day in March there is a snake lying there on the ground, and I flinch until I know for sure. King snakes are our friends; they eat baby rattlesnakes.
The Sweet Acacias don’t look much different from Palo Verdes or Mesquite trees, but their yellow blossoms smell so sweetly they make you feel sick. So sweet they almost smell like garbage. But I could tolerate that if they didn’t make my sinuses flow like Niagara Falls.
The allergist says that the reason the standard skin tests don’t include the Sweet Acacia is because it isn’t a specific allergen; instead, everybody is sensitive to it. It’s partly to account for the high incidence of hay fever in the valley.
Here are the Sweet Acacia blossoms, which my husband calls puff balls, up close and looking innocent.
Still, it’s our spring, rattlesnakes and allergies aside. And there are always the baby bunnies :).
4″ long baby bunny
hiding in plant
I long for spring, but as soon as I see the tiny crocus shoots, I know I’ve got a lot of hard work in the garden ahead. It’s a mixed bag, but definitely due here in Minnesota.
Yes, I well remember those days. Honestly, I can’t complain about it being in the 80s right now, but when you are having a beautiful summer in a few months, we will be crushed by heat. For it to be in the 80s this soon means 115 come June.
Happy Spring to you. We are under a few inches of snow this morning with flurries in the forecast all week long! It doesn’t look or feel much lie Spring here. I can’t wait to see the signs of Spring too 🙂
~O
You will have a lovely spring and then an even lovelier summer, no doubt, while we will be in the 100 plus teens!!!
Thanks for this comparisons of springs. Here in SW Michigan, we are still contending with the threat of snow, cold days and nights, lawns that look like part-time parking lots, and leafless trees. On the other hand, I saw a robin on Saturday morning. Yay! My snowdrop is still trying to eke out a flower, over a month late. But when spring arrives–it will be beautiful!
This time of year used to be really hard for me in Michigan. I was always chomping at the bit until it warmed up and the air felt so comforting on the skin. And then I loved Michigan through October. The best months in Arizona are April/May and October, but it’s already so hot, that I do wonder if May will even be good. Enjoy your spring when it arrives!
Yes, watching out for the rattlesnakes! A spingtime rite. No more can I let our little dog roam at will–she was bitten two years ago and we don’t want to go through that again. I do love the bloom on the trees. Lovely photos, thanks for sharing.
Deborah, I just discovered your comment! Aw, poor little dog. Did you have to take her for the anti-venom? Thank you so much for reading; I’m so sorry for the delayed response!
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