Satiny Pink Gowns and Fuzzy Sweaters

No sooner than they bloom, a breeze come in 

to whip the magnolias' petals away, 

creating a wet matted carpet below their parent

tree. Maybe it's so the redbuds won't

have to share the glory.

It's time for those trees to don 

their fuzzy pink sweaters,

astonishing us with their floret cuteness.

Yarn from A Redbud's Sweater

In other years, I've seen this tree so covered 

in tiny flowers that it looked as though 

it was wearing a beautiful pink sweater 

to protect itself from the chilly spring mornings.

Maybe I just got there too late in the season.

I had to remind myself that I no longer had those

pictures and went by to check on the trees.

This was almost all that was left, looking as though

only a bit of yarn from the sweater remained

after the tree had taken it off.

Glowing Hearts

Redbuds fascinate me. In the spring they cover themselves 

in fuzzy sweaters made up of tiny pink florets.

In the fall, they produce curly black seed pods that are

backed by heart-shaped yellow leaves.

Here the sun shines through the leaves, 

creating a golden, heart-shaped glow 

that shines like a thousand bits of love, 

there for anyone who cares to see.

More from the River Promenade

A few weeks ago, when the redbuds and magnolias had bloomed along 

the White River Promenade, I kept getting caught up in all the colors 

and textures that had chosen to exist shoulder to shoulder

among the limestone walls.

Above the magnolias show their delicate color against

the abrasive texture of the stone, while the moss thrives on

another bit of the wall.

Textured Tuesday: Mossy Redbuds

The  morning began gray, with light showers, as I walked from 

the IUPUI campus to the Central Canal.

I was on my way to the River Promenade, which continued

the path where the canal walk ended, taking it over the 

White River to the limestone lined River Promenade.

I've walked the Promenade before and always found new beauty 

in the huge blocks of limestone stacked along the sides of

the shaded lane. Spring showed in the many redbud, magnolia and

dogwood trees blooming along the lane. Moss and lichen

gave the trees a new wardrobe of plush mottled green.

A Bit of Pink

It has rained all day, beginning this morning with a light shower 

and increasing to thunderstorms.

 This evening, I noticed some of the magnolias' petals, new blooms, 

have already become tattered  and fallen from the trees. 

There are now leaves showing in that beautiful shade of light green 

that always speaks of fresh promise.

When the rains have gone, this redbud, which had only shown

a few tiny clusters of buds, will be covered in its own 

fuzzy sweater of tiny pink flowers.

Last of the Golden Hearts

Cold wind and rain blew through, remnants of "Superstorm Sandy," 

taking the last of the golden leaves from neighborhood redbud trees.

I'm already anticipating the Winter Solstice, December 21st,

after which the days again begin lengthening.

Pink Arbor

I'd been waiting for the redbud trees to bloom

and, when I stood beneath this tree I smiled,

not wanting to leave the pink arbor

created by a tree that looks as though it is

welcoming spring by wearing 

a fuzzy pink sweater.

Redbud and Guitars

While the magnolia trees are showing their magnificent blooms, 

the redbuds' color is just beginning to appear. 

In a week or so, they'll be covered 

in their beautifully colored, tiny florets. 

How do they do that, and why?

I was messing around, looking for something else on YouTube, when I found this video clip. I believe it's from 1990,

just before Stevie Ray Vaughn was killed in a helicopter

crash after a performance. Here he is playing with

Eric Clapton, Robert Cray, Jimmie Vaughn

and Buddy Guy.