The Best Two Weeks Of The Year

Every spring, I look forward to the blooming of the magnolia tree in the front yard.  It arrived a full month early!  I sit at my desk and, as it is every year, watch the buds form, grow larger day by day before they explode - sometimes overnight.  It's glorious, and vaguely spiritual.

A few weeks ago, my neighbor asked if he could trim some of the branches that were hanging low over his driveway.  A reasonable enough request, but I was uneasy.  We cordially negotiated a compromise that  wasn't too severe, but I was still somewhat pained.  Fewer flowers to enjoy, I suppose.

Now, I see the petals starting to fall to the ground.  Sadly, it's the inevitable passage.  The coming greenery, of course, lasts all summer into the fall.  Pleasant enough, just not as exhilarating as these precious two weeks.  If I were more poetic, I might be able to aptly describe a metaphor for the seasonal change.  Lacking that, I just enjoy.

Each year I take a picture.  The most recent is shared above.  Looking close, you can see why the business is "No Left Turn".  The glancing morning sunlight caught the sign just enough to make it glow - almost ostentatiously.  The tree is more appealing, I think.

Happy Spring.