leaves

If you live in a place like California, Florida, or Brazil, leaves are something you can take for granted. They are always there although some of the leaves you can see in Brazil are pretty amazing.

Spring is coming to the north country, and leaves are starting to emerge.

The willow trees are the first to start greening up in Vermont. They are also the last to lose their leaves in the fall.

And saying that the trees "green up" is not totally accurate. The maple trees start out with a reddish tinge which is their equivalent of blossoms.

Some trees like the crabapples start with blossoms first and then come the leaves. Others like the lilacs start with leaves first followed by blossoms. Maybe some of the Vt. state biologists like Doug and Kim can weigh in on what's going on here.

It's been a long winter. It's great to see the return of geese, red-winged blackbirds, wildflowers...and leaves.

Instruction on Not Giving Up

Ada Limon, 1976

More than the fuchsia funnels breaking out

of the crabapple tree, more than the neighbor's

almost obscene display of cherry limbs shoving

their cotton candy-colored blossoms to the slate 

sky of spring rains, it's the greening of the trees

that really gets to me. When all the shock of white

and taffy, the world's baubles and trinkets, leave

the pavement strewn with the confetti of aftermath,

the leaves come. Patient, plodding, a green skin

growing over whatever winter did to us, a return

to the strange idea of continuous living despite

the mess of us, the hurt, the empty. Fine then,

I'll take it, the tree seems to say, a new slick leaf

unfurling like a fist to an open palm, I'll take it all.

Thanks, Millie!