Diva

To find spring in Wisconsin, a scavenger hunt is necessary. Swelling buds and returning birds are present, but discovering them takes patience, persistence and luck.

Spring in the southeastern states is an entirely different scenario. The season sweeps in like a diva who is delightfully in your face. Everything that can flower seems to be doing so simultaneously. The woods are snowing dogwood blossoms, azaleas line yards and walks, magnolia flowers are gigantic and wisteria are dripping like huge purple raindrops. Flowering redbud trees line the Interstates for miles with their lacy, lavender flowers. Subtlty is not practiced here.

Anyone weary of an endless northern winter can get a head start on spring by taking a road trip south. In a mere five hour drive recently we went from 34 degrees and not a leaf in sight to 65 degrees and blooming daffodils.

However, our most dramatic spring happened in the southwest. We had flown from Wisconsin on a frigid, snowy April day and landed in Albuquerque at night. A snowstorm had just come down from the mountains and blanketed the city. “1,430 miles and no spring,” we moaned.

The next morning the famous New Mexico sun came up and big clumps of snow started dropping off the trees. By 10:00 AM the snow was all gone and we realized to our delight that every flowering tree was in splendid full bloom. Divas do like grand entrances.

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