The first sign of spring in central Texas is ever-so-subtle. At first you wonder if your eyes are playing tricks on you. A bare tree in your line of vision seems to be emanating blips of slight magenta. It's like some of those LED Christmas lights, a little different type of color and light than your brain is used to, especially after being conditioned to the dull, monochromatic winter. Then, you get closer and realize that yes indeed, the graphite gray spindly bare branches do contain larvae-like clusters of hot pink.
Redbud.
After a few days of inconspicuous fuschia, the larvae transform to half-blossom rose pink hearts. When the hearts arrive, the redbud transformation is more obvious but still pretty; however, I prefer the barely-there larvae stage, those little bouquets of tightly wrapped 4mm roses, a surprise and delight for the lucky souls who choose to ogle.
Eventually, the buds open even more fully to a light pink cherry-ish blossom, but not yet, for, at this point, we are only at the very tip of the inception of Spring 2011.
And a few days later, they start to open...
...into tiny hearts
To be continued...fully blossomed.
