Kentucky Red Bud Trees...

Spring has sprung,
The grass has riz,
I wonder where
The flowers is!!

Such was the poetry learned as a child in Louisiana from my father. Not likely to win any literary honors. Nonetheless, it was something said every spring as flowers began to slowly rotate through their blossoming order.

As a child in Louisiana, I remember the arrival of dogwood blossoms. There was a place called Dogwood Trail that we would all load into the car and head out for on a Sunday afternoon drive. I loved seeing all those dogwood blossoms like lace in the trees that had not leafed out yet. After moving to the Washington, DC area, I loved them in the forests that line I-270. Slowly those forests were cut down and filled with businesses and homes. I found myself missing that right of spring passage man had uprooted for the sake of being man. We did however have a gorgeous pink dogwood in our front yard that I totally enjoyed.

We lived in Denver, Colorado and purchased our first home there. It had a forsythia bush at the corner of the front lawn by the driveway. It would fill to overflowing with yellow blossoms. Claude cut it way back one year as it had started to grow way to large for its spot. It dutifully came back fuller than ever with more yellow overflowing than ever. We've put a forsythia on our hill and it is truly a delight to watch it bloom in the spring.

Our move to Kentucky brought the joy of the red bud tree. Papa and I sing a song for the residents of the nursing home titled "Kentucky" and it has a line about the laurel and the red bud trees. The red bud tree really isn't bright red. It is more of a pink/lavendar kind of color. As we drive to our home along Hwy 32, there is a place where the red bud trees are thick against dark green fir trees. We have a bit of a place where the road is cut through the limestone that is Kentucky. At the top of that limestone hill are a few more red bud trees. I just love driving through and watching them change from buds to blossoms. You must enjoy it quickly because they leaf out, just like other flowering trees, and those blossoms will be gone.

I've wanted to catch a few pictures of these particular red bud trees at their peak. We've lived here 7 1/2 years and I've failed to do that each year. Part of the reason is that you need to find a parking spot and then walk to a place to take pictures. Part is because I forget to take my camera with me.

I mentioned the desire to get pictures of those trees at my Homemaker's Club meeting this month and the ladies simply said, "Why don't you get Claude to drive you and drop you off and then pick you up?"  Now why in the world did I not think of that? 

I'll blame my mom. She was an extremely independent women and raised her three daughters in that mold. So...I'll just blame Mimi and not take responsibility for it myself.

I mentioned this desire to Claude and before I could even ask he said, "I could drive you there and get you after you finish."  Such a guy!!

Saturday, after our date in Lexington, as we neared Sadieville I mentioned to Claude the taking of red bud pictures. He said sure. We were in the Jeep and it can go anywhere. He simply backed it up a little hill into an old home place where a frame home from years ago has fallen down. I hopped out and walked up and down Hwy 32 taking my pictures.

Here are a couple for your enjoyment and my future memory:

 

There is a peace in the lay of the land in Kentucky that is totally enjoyable. As I said my prayers this morning, I found myself again thanking a loving Heavenly Father for creating such a beautiful place for us to live.