The Flowers That Bloom In The Spring Tra-La

Thank Gilbert and Sullivan for today's theme song. " The flowers that bloom in the spring Tra- La, bring promise of merry sunshine".

Findley Lake spring flowers come in many forms.

While there are buds forming on the daffodils, they still have a ways to go before blooming.

Probably the first flowers to erupt here in early Spring are the Corvette flowers. Several weeks ago we caught a glimpse of a burgundy Corvette, brought out of it's winter shelter for a quick wash and a little hardening off. Just as quickly it was put back under cover, too delicate to stand the still freezing weather. This week, it was out again, taken for a spin on a nice day. Then today a yellow convertible Corvette was spotted. Like most of these flowers, it spends the winters indoors, pampered, fed and resting. Warm weather finds them visiting the Post Office, waiting for the first Whitney's catalog to arrive.

The second Spring flower, and most confusing for visitors, are the "For Sale" sign flowers. Having observed this phenomena for almost 30 years, I can attest to the seasonal nature of the sudden proliferation of signs in early Spring. Usually there are three or four different varieties. Visitors often conclude that the appearance of these signs signals untenable taxes. In reality, the desire to maximize income is a much more human and understandable reason. Also local realtors are adept at keeping first and second string "stables" of homes that could be sold for the right price. While I've considered trying this very popular lawn "flower", I'm more into vegetables this year.

That brings me back to the real flowers. Probably first visible will be the wild/naturalized crocuses in the lawns on School Street. Next will be the regular crocuses and wild daffodils. The Forget-Me-Not's will follow them later this Spring. The first tree to bloom will be the Service Berry, with it's smooth gray bark. Last tree to bloom will be the Locust.

Findley Lake won't see real flowers for at least two to three weeks after they start blooming in Erie. That's the wonder of the thermal flywheel. As we wait for warmer weather to arrive, we'll take any flower we can get. I'm planning on watching for more Corvettes and counting the "For Sale" signs. It's my usual Spring activity and a welcome change from the Winter doldrums.