Early Spring on the Southern Plains

Blossoming Bradford Pear Trees
The very first harbinger of spring in Oklahoma comes when the Bradford Pear trees blossom. Right now they are in bloom all over OKC.

These trees in bloom bring to my mind one of my favorite poems about another species of flowering tree, the cherry tree.

Loveliest of Trees by A. E. Housman

Loveliest of trees, the cherry now
Is hung with bloom along the bough,
And stands about the woodland ride
Wearing white for Eastertide.

Now, of my threescore years and ten,
Twenty will not come again,
And take from seventy springs a score,
It only leaves me fifty more.

And since to look at things in bloom
Fifty springs are little room,
About the woodlands I will go
To see the cherry hung with snow.

Baseball begins this weekend!

There is really nothing quite like Opening Day in all of sports. Perhaps because baseball begins in the Spring when nature renews itself, I feel a sense of renewal each season when baseball begins.

I've become a St. Louis Cardinals fan.

-in just Spring, Oklahoma Style

State Tree of Oklahoma
Redbud
Hyacinths
Our Redbud tree is in bloom along with some of our Hyacinth flowers. It was in the upper 70s today. Spring has definitely come to the Southern Plains. It reminds me of my favorite poem about springtime by the poet e.e. cummings.

in just-

in Just-
spring when the world is mud-
luscious the little
lame balloonman

whistles far and wee

and eddieandbill come
running from marbles and
piracies and it's
spring

when the world is puddle-wonderful

the queer
old balloonman whistles
far and wee
and bettyandisbel come dancing

from hop-scotch and jump-rope and

it's
spring
and
the

goat-footed

balloonMan whistles
far
and
wee

e.e. cummings

Spring Comes to Oklahoma City

One of the earliest signs of spring in Oklahoma City is when the pear trees start to flower. In fact, these trees will flower at the first sign of warm weather. Of course, we are still capable of having a cold front run in from the north, but right now we are having a spate of warm weather which signals that winter is loosing its grip on the Southern Plains.

The pear trees, like all the other trees in the state, have taken a bit of a beating from the winter ice storms we had. But I think they look lovely still the same.

It's Been A Beautiful Spring

Fruitless Pear Trees

It has turned colder lately. Spring has a way of doing that here on the Southern Plains. We had some very warm weather and then it got down below freezing. Even had some light sleet and snow. But we're on the way back.