Reasonably Educated Bumpkins

Somehow, the beauty of spring always seems too garish and obvious when represented photographically -- unless the photos are MINE, of course, in which case the beauty is a bit more elusive.

I took my daughters out for a walk Sunday before last, when the almond trees were in bloom on the west side. The spring wind was the only thing that intruded on an otherwise picture-perfect day. In like a lion, indeed.

A closer look is needed here:

In the background is a pistachio orchard. This tree is a volunteer, growing along the ditch that borders the orchard. But look closer -- see the blossoms? Pistachios are not flowering trees. That's a volunteer almond tree that took root almost on top of the pistachio's trunk. It has wound in and around its host, growing taller than the pistachio to ensure that it gets enough light to survive. Sure, it's spindly, but it's a survivor.

This is its neighbor, a healthy volunteer almond tree. It's beautiful, but not quite as scrappy, somehow. The underdog is usually the favorite here in America.

The field just north of us will probably be in corn again this year, but for now it's a carpet of green velvet. The wind has driven a few stray pieces of junk into view, but I'm not adept enough with Graphic Converter to get rid of them. Eh, it's all part of the scene anyway.

This much put-upon old oak tree has been routinely carved upon by years of utilities workers trying to keep the lines clear of branches. I'm not showing you the butchering this tree has been subjected to (for good reason -- I'm a realist and not at all against the linemen doing their jobs; I'm just giving you a bit of the California Tree-Hugger that hibernates within me). I just want to show you its grace.

These baby trees stand a chance at a long life, since they are back far enough from the road not to be a danger to traffic.

Happy spring, ya'll.