Last summer was pretty warm and sunny, so I guess that can help the trees load up on energy to produce flowers the following year. That seems to be the case this year for many of the apple and cherry trees around town this year. At least I don’t remember seeing quite so many flowers in years past.
One large cherry tree (pictured above) on DeGroff Street was absolutely covered in flowers last week, though today the petals were fluttering to the ground almost like snow as the gusty breeze pulled them from the flowers. Mixed with a little bit of liquid rain, this rain of petals was kind of amazing to observe. I couldn’t really hope to capture the effect in a picture, but the cool, moist air, fluttering white petals pushed about by the gusts as they fluttered down towards the street, all contributed to a rich blend for my senses. With any luck, the picture (and this writing) will help me recall the fuller experience.
As mentioned, the rain did return today. It fell fitfully at first, just a light mist that was hardly noticeable. By this afternoon, there was enough falling to wet the ground, though it never really got to be more than a drizzle, at least when I was out and about. Along with the rain, there was a little bit of wind. When I stopped at Swan Lake on my way home from class, I was struck by how it seemed more like a summer sort of rain and wind. It was cool, but not cold, a noticeable breeze, but not very strong or steady, and the rain also was fairly mellow. This isn’t to say we don’t see more aggressive rain and wind during the summer months, but it seems like that’s more of a fall, winter, and spring sort of thing.