SPRINGTIME IN THE SOUTHEAST

Cherry blossoms festoon the East Cobb ’burbs.

The formal opening shot of Springtime was fired this past Friday, but the signs of reemergent life have been all around us here in the South for several weeks.

The Bradford pear trees (The Missus calls ’em “stink-trees” because of their somewhat unpleasant aroma) have been blooming for a while now, along with bright yellow forsythia. It’s cherry time now, with the trees exploding in clouds of pink blossoms. Eastern redbuds contribute splashes of purple; the dogwoods will follow shortly.

Friday afternoon, I drove to Charleston for a quick visit, returning yesterday afternoon. The weather was perfect - sunny and warm. All through the entire 690-mile roundtrip route, I got to enjoy the spectacle of blossoming trees along the Interstate. All of those pinks, purples, whites, and yellows provided a welcome distraction from the monotony of the ever-rolling carpet of concrete.


A spray of forsythia by the lake.

Springtime in the Southeast: Its beauty snares Yankees like honeysuckle nectar attracts bees. Once you experience it, you don’t ever want to leave.

Anyone who has ever spent early April in Atlanta knows what I’m talking about.