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.

Before the Rust Appears

April has entered, as promised by the adage, 

with showers. Heavy rains have grayed the skies 

all around, creating a backdrop for the newly 

bloomed daffodils, jonquils, and -- dare I say it?

dandelions. Better yet, the magnolias have

shed their little velvet sweaters and

are starting to bloom delicate shades of mauve.

I got these pictures just after the flowers

had opened, and well before chilly spring winds 

whip the flowers into a frenzy, coating the 

petals with rust-colored tears.

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.

It's Such a Pretty Place

It's hard to believe the River Promenade has been open and in use 

for over twenty-five years. It's a popular place, heavily used by

runners and other people taking their lunch time walks.

I was so caught up in taking my pictures, of examining everything

that caught my eye, it took an hour for me to walk its

entire length - but very little time to make the return trip.

I know people think it's an attractive site, but they don't seem 

to notice it much, preferring instead to concentrate on their

routine or the music on their i-Pod.

Since I nearly always have my camera at hand, 

it's pretty safe to say that my routine is routinely interrupted 

by something pretty I want to take pictures of.

They're He-e-e-re!

I spent quite of bit of time recently keeping an eye on the magnolia trees, 

watching for signs that the buds would shed their little sweaters,

blooming into the beautiful flowers that swathe the trees

in gowns of mauve and white.

The Next Day: Soggy Little Sweaters

It's inevitable, I suppose. After all, the unofficial state motto of Indiana is, 

"If you don't like our weather, stick around for fifteen minutes."

I woke up to rain showers that continued throughout the day. When I went

to the store, I stopped to check on the magnolia tree.

It was doing just fine, the little sweaters worn by its buds

sheltered them from the wet weather.

No such little sweaters for the humans though, as they 

dashed through the drizzle on their way to the store.

Textured Tuesday: Little Velvet Sweaters

When I went for a walk Sunday morning, 

the air around me felt, finally, as though Spring! is on it's way.

The birds were singing, calling to each other,

spreading the news through the sunlit air and this human

was taking it to heart. I stopped to look at a magnolia tree a few

blocks from home. Not long from now, it will be filled with

mauvey-pink flowers, but for the time being its buds are

wearing little gray sweaters to protect against the late winter chill.

Just Damn Pretty

When I go for my walks, I am supposed to go at a pace 

of fifteen to sixteen minutes per mile. Yeah, sure.

I can do it if I don't look at anything or stop to take

pictures. I know there are long stretches

where I don't expect to see much, so I concentrate

on my pace, look straight ahead, trying to not trip

over cracks in the sidewalk. But I get so bored!

And then, just when I least expect it, a pretty white 

flower shows up on the side of a tree - Poof!

So what am I supposed to do? Ignore it?

Not likely. So here are the white flowers,

with their little bits of delicate pink 

and green accents.

Late last week, the magnolias had just begun to bloom.

The next night there was a big storm. Of course, the petals had begun to fall, others were stained and damaged.

Above is a photo of the same tree from

Monday's post.