WEDNESDAY WALK

Today I had some time to kill while I was waiting to meet my sister so I walked around our neighboring town with my camera and took oodles of pictures. This one is of a pink dogwood that is in bloom behind the Placer Adult Education Office. It is just starting to open and I assume will be in full bloom in just a short while.

This wisteria is from the 1870's according to the owner I spoke with today. He said that the original house used to sit directly in the back of this huge trunk. I'm not sure if the size of the trunk is clearly defined in these photos but it is really large and gnarled. The flowers heads are so profuse that they are climbing up two pine trees close by and have scaled the trees almost to the top. The flowers are hanging down from the top as though they are pine boughs. This dogwood to the right is another one that I found in another part of town today.

Here is the trunk of the giant wisteria "tree". Aren't they really bushes or vines technically? Not this one! This wisteria has clearly outdone itself and after well over one hundred years is still going strong. I am wondering what the secret to it's longevity is? Vitamin water? Or maybe the gold in hills? We are, after all, in the heart of the Gold Country. I'm sure vitamins AND minerals are essential to all living things.

Today we woke up and it was only 27 degrees at 7 AM but the weather tonight tells us that it is going to be in the high 80's and maybe even reach the 90's by this weekend. I'm not sure how long all the beautiful Spring flowers will last with the heat wave that is coming. Maybe we will go from Spring directly into Summer. It is a good thing that I was out taking pictures of some of the Spring blossoms before they fade. Mother Nature knows what to do and when to do it. I just have to be at the right place at the right time. One or two weeks early or late and I could miss the whole glorious spectacle.