Early even for the Redbuds, Bud.

Of all the plants and flowers you find in the South, none is as noticeable than the Redbud. Yeah, I know, catchy name, especially when you find out that the RedBud has - get this - RED BUDS. It's mind boggling, isn't it? Though not specifically Southern in origin or locale, the Redbud is a rather iconic tree due to the fact that it is one of the first trees to show its buds - its 'red buds' come springtime. The Redbud or Cercis canadensis is a large deciduous shrub or small tree, native to eastern North America from southern Ontario, Canada south to northern Florida but which can thrive as far west as California. It is the state tree of Oklahoma.

They are found all over the south and like Dogwoods, show up as the snows melt and the rains lessen and spring arrives. Which brings me to my topic of the day. Spring and Redbuds. You see, the weather this year has been so unpredictable that meteorologists are keeping a 'go bag' in the trunk of their car. More than unpredictable, the weather has been so unseasonable as to be almost unbelievable. Record highs even in places such as Denver, to places like Nashville, where usually we'd have had at least one if not two light snows by this time each year. This year, no snow at all!

And that means the trees are a-buddin and the Redbud heralds this weather change by popping out in all its glory. The Redbud you see up there is right across the street from my house.  The color is glorious and all I can do is wonder what's going to happen should Mother Nature wake up and bring us our usual sow and ice storms. Pink Snow is my guess.  

I suppose I should be more worried about the number of spiders and bugs under the house.  Time for a trip to the big hardware store. 

What's A Fella To Do?

This is a story that happened just the other day.  I write about it to help ease my frustration as well as to prove that things happen here in the South like they happen all over.

Amazing lifelike simulation!

It was early Wednesday morning and I was getting off the bus.  It's dark out, but downtown has it's own lights and stores waking up help throw light on the near deserted sidewalks.  I walked in the predawn light down one street and turned the corner into another, passing by the crazy old homeless lady that usually curses at me and was just about to the building where I work when I heard a noise. There are lots of noises downtown usually what with traffic and delivery trucks unloading, but in this early morning hour it was just me and the homeless lady so I stopped and turned around wondering what it was that had caught my attention.  

When I found when I turn around was a couple across the street and down a ways beside TPAC. You can see my amazingly lifelike simulation above. . The woman had her back to the wall and the man was standing in front of her and he had his face in front of her and he was really angry, getting loud and then soft.  I really didn't catch the gist of the conversation, but suffice to say that he was angry and she was getting more than her share of the outcome of that anger. 

He kept yelling at her and keeping her from going anywhere by putting his arms up and his hands on the wall on either side of her. I stood there for what seemed like a long time but was probably only about five minutes watching, unsure of what to do, or whether I should do anything.  He would yell at her and move around a bit, yell at her and then move a bit, getting more and more agitated.  I glanced down the street at one point and caught the eye of the crazy homeless lady and she lifted her arms in a 'what-can-you-do' sort of gesture. I gestured the same in return.  What do you know, me and the crazy old homeless lady actually having a conversation...

I'm not sure what caused the end of the conversation, which from where I was standing, was pretty much one-sided, but they finally picked up their stuff and moved on and I went on into work, still unsure if I should have called the cops or not. 

So, morning in the South, just like most places only with entertainment.