The Charlotte Spring

We came back mid-March from a 10-day vacation and found Charlotte in full spring.

The only activists in this spring are the frenzied bees that dive in and out of flowers and trees that suddenly came to full bloom. All over the city, streets are lined with dogwoods – “cotton ball trees” as I call them – with puffs of tiny pure white or pale pink blossoms that completely take over the trees. When pedals fall, float down in the air and settle on the sidewalks, they resemble snowflakes. Magnolias were stunning with their purple and white blossoms as big as the size of your hand. To me they represent the South even more than grits and fried chicken do.

If that weren’t enough of a sign of spring, I found that everything on my desk, in front of an open window, is covered with a fine coat of yellow dust. When it rained yesterday and I saw yellow water running down the road, I thought that it was chemical waste. I was just about to make a racket when I realized that it was pollen washed off from tops of cars, buildings and the parking lot.

I’ve traded black Manhattan dust for yellow Charlotte dust.

We’re actually a little worried about this “spring,” which really started in February and has already hit a few 80+ degree days. We don’t know what this means for summer, but at this rate, we wouldn’t be surprised if winter hits in July.