box elder blooms

i wasn't always as observant as i have been these last 10-15 years... it has been one of the nicest coping mechanisms i've learned for dealing with pain (either physical or emotional pain)

to pay attention, REALLY pay attention, to the subtle moment at hand gives a rich explosion of curious interesting things to think about and realize how ephemeral they are -- the clouds, the shifts in temperature, the wind, the difference in a tree this week to last...  the changes that a child makes in language and what they are focused on... the ragged edges of a broken heart...

fascinating stuff.

so it's close to the time that box elder trees bloom.  in general, not my favorite tree -- messy, buggy, disease-prone; doubt they even sell them, but if they do, don't buy one!  However, if one is nearby, especially a mature one... try to catch it backlit as the blooms are just coming out and are still white/clear...  they are like optic fibers, covering the entire tree with light.

how do i know?  because i used to walk up 2nd south to the university when i was going to grad school.  the winter slog was over, but i was full-on oblivious to box elders until one stopped me in my tracks in wonder.

for a day or two i could have believed in fairies.  and then it was back to being mundane.