Allergies, Be Damned!

The smell of lilacs is like the nectar of the gods. The sad thing is, it only lasts about a week. So, what is one to do?

Well, in my case, I take a trip to Madison's Arboretum and stick my face in blooming lilacs for about an hour and a half. By the time I'm done, I've gotten my lilac fix (and I've sneezed my head off) and don't feel quite as bad when the blooms start to brown and drop.

So, let's start with the Arboretum (lovingly referred to as The Arb). The University of Wisconsin Arboretum is actually a research facility - acres and acres of land - gardens and prairies - that's used for environmental and ecological study. Their mission is to conserve and restore Arboretum lands, advance restoration ecology, and foster the land ethic." And, to the delight of thousands of people, it's open to the public for all manner of fun. The history of the Arb is fascinating and it's wonderful to know that all this gorgeous land (and water!) in the middle of our city will be preserved for the foreseeable future.

My all-time favorite part of the Arb is the lilac grove. There are, quite literally, hundreds of varieties of lilacs. Large flowered, small flowered, double-flowered, trees, bushes, sweet smelling, spicy smelling, and even one that smells slightly of feet. Adjacent to the lilac grove is the cherry and apple grove so it's easy enough to wander from the heady scent of lilac over to the blooming trees for a bit of a palate cleanser. I love that the cherry and apple trees bloom concurrent with the lilacs. It makes the trip doubly fun. 

Here, in pictures, is a summary of my trip to the Arb last Friday. We had a stunningly gorgeous late afternoon promenade and stuck our faces in every single lilac bloom. Halfway through I started sneezing but, as the title suggests, allergies be damned - I was going to get my fill!

Enjoy!

My friend didn't sneeze as much as me.

Blue skies and sun!

These are the tags on the trees - in case you want to identify the variety.

Look at the crazy curl on these flower petals!

Entering the apple & cherry tree grove.

Then we wandered into the maple grove.

This Norway Maple was one of the biggest trees I've ever seen.

Wildflowers by the visitor's center.

Spring Has Sprung

The time has come the walrus said to think of all things Spring.

Crocuses are the harbingers of warm weather - even when they're covered in snow. While daffodils and tulips are, undoubtedly, the most recognizable of all spring flowers, the tiny, hardy, oft-eaten-by-rabbits crocus is the very first flower to push up through the leftover leaves and the bits of morning frost. All hail the crocus!

Dead leaves and yard-waste pickup are the first spring-time stress inducers. There's always a layer of debris left because we get tired of trying to keep up with all the raking in the fall. How can one oak tree drop so many damn leaves? Really. And, unfortunately, the streets department won't give an exact date for yard waste pick up so you have to suss it out based on your garbage pick up day and how many houses are in a particular neighborhood and whether the crow flies at midnight. If you're lucky, you'll get your yard waste out before they come to pick it up but not, like, two weeks before because then the wind just blows the crap back up onto your lawn. *sigh*

Seed catalogs, garden centers, and (if you live in Madison) chicken catalogs bring the thrill of anticipation. There's nothing more satisfying than planning your summer garden. Planning. Not doing. Plans are grand and ambitious. The reality is usually less so. But the pouring over catalogs or meandering through the garden center fills your heart with inspiration and anticipation. Grandiose visions aside, the process of planning, buying, and creating a garden is an absolute joy.

Sunshine makes everything better. Warm, comforting, energy-giving, life-affirming sunshine. The days are longer and the desire to be outside is overwhelming. Fresh air, exercise, seeing neighbors who have been hibernating for months - these are all a result of sunshine. It's a powerful, wonderful thing. The sun rocks.

http://bit.ly/gp7HEY

 Breaking out the bicycle is a sure sign that spring has sprung. If it's warm enough to comfortably ride a bike, winter is officially over. Of course, it's possible that you may wait until the actual day you WANT to ride your bike to realize that it needs to go to the shop for the spring tune up. The tires are flat, the gears need greasing and you're stuck waiting until the next weekend to enjoy the freedom of tooling around town with the wind in your hair.

The bike of my dreams

And, finally, the best sign of spring are those occasional days when it's warm enough to open the windows in the house and air out the months of closed-up stuffiness. Madison was blessed with a couple of those days this past week and, for the first time in months, the house felt light and airy and free.

Happy springtime everyone. Revel in the beauty. Soak up the joy. Feel GREAT about the coming months.

- Alex