by Jayne Bodner
It is April 1. This morning I found myself looking right into the tree in front of our kitchen window and it was covered with airy pink flowers! Overnight it decided to get going and it looked like a good two-thirds of the buds had already begun to spring (I couldn’t stop myself) open.
We live on the Lumberton campus of Medford Leas.
Together the two campuses – one in Medford, one in Lumberton, make up the Barton Arboretum and Nature Preserve. On both campuses, there are small signs at the base of trees showing their English and Latin names.
The Lumberton campus has one street, Woodside Drive, an easy-going curvy road with trees of many varieties between the houses and in front of almost every one.
If your home is on the inside side of Woodside Drive, then your living room, and a deck and/or a sun room, look out over the boomerang-shaped meadow which is at the center of Woodside Drive. If you live on the outside side of the Drive, like we do, the back of your house may look out from the top of a high ridge.
From our living room, we have that ridge view, and since we’ve been here, we’ve watched eagles and hawks swirl up from the base of the ridge, continue on up high above us, and fly over to cruise above the meadow.
We’ve also seen, and heard!, flights of geese raucously complaining while some jockey for the front position in their flock so they can look like they’re leading. These geese assembled in ever larger and louder flocks until the action, and sound!, peaked in March. I so hope that’s an annual event!
The fronts of all of the homes have kitchen windows looking out to the street.
Our kitchen windows look due East, giving us wonderful morning views of the sun. Since this is so early in the spring, from our window, the sun is rising at the north, or left, end of its range. Over the next six months or so, it will rise a little more to the south, or right, end of its range each day.
If it is a sunny morning, I up-tilt the wood blinds just a bit so we can sit down to breakfast without squinting. If it is overcast, I make sure they are open all the way; the long view out the windows is very handsome either way.
When I got up this morning, a little after 6:30, I noticed that the day was a little overcast, so I opened the blinds all the way, turned on the coffee pot, and leashed up our dog, Laney, for her wake-up walk. As I opened the front door and headed down our front steps, I kept my eyes on the ground, making sure that she, I, and her leash made it to the walk as largely separate units. This may seem like an excess of caution, but I assure you it is not!
As we arrived on the ground, I looked up to chart our course, usually chosen by Laney, but I like us to pretend I’m in charge.
I found myself looking right into the tree that is in front of our home, and it was covered with airy pink flowers! Overnight it decided to get going and it looked like a good 2/3 of the florets it had had already begun to spring (I couldn’t stop myself) open.
The three houses across the street and the two houses to our right all have the same tree, and as my Irish great grandmother would have said, it certainly was a grand sight! (for this April Fool! – But now I really do have to find out what the English and Latin names of our tree are!).