Rhododendrons and the Hawthorne

I've been so busy lately that I've felt the depressive weight of responsibility and worry. I've always been one to meet deadlines, to get done just a little early so if something unforeseen happens I have a little bumper of time. As an organizer I worry when I depend on others to fulfill some task and they don't get these things done just a little ahead of time. I feel harried even when I take a break and do something recreational, because still peaking over my shoulder is that thing I can't do anything about at the moment. Much as I enjoy these offerings I make, I'll be glad for a break after June 2.

At least when I go around town I can relax on the bus and read or observe. When I walk I can pause to snap a picture. Somehow in the last month I accumulated about 140 photos on my camera. I've got some catching up to do.

I just tried using Tabblo. So far I don't like it, discovered it over at JeannieGrrl's. It might be nice for creating nice layouts, but it loads slowly and when I tried creating a tabblo just now the tools responded slowly and I couldn't move around on the screen the way I wanted. Oh well, I'll just stick with the blogger layout for now. I like a simple page anyway.

This rhododendron by our door had been peaking it's buds out for a few days when I snapped this on April 8. (Click all photos for larger image.) It's nice to arrive home and have a few more flower petals greeting you at the door.

Just a few days later some of the blossoms revealed themselves.

On April 19, the lovely ladies had opened their skirts wide.

A week after that as I walked home after dark, the presence of the hawthorne tree beckoned to me from a block away. The white blossoms had a slightly orange tint from the street lamp.

I had to pause and soak in her presence. This tree is always there, just a tree in front of my house. She sends red berries to the sidewalk that I must sweep up before they make a big splotchy mess. Those blossoms would float to the ground in a few days, rain will make them a gluey mush. At this moment though, she compels me with all her blooming sensual pungent fertility to pause and acknowledge her. She takes my breath away literally, sparking allergy-related respiratory distress, but that seems a minor inconvenience as I struggle to find a way to take in her presence that envelops me and dominates the night street. I snap a few photos, but I know that pixels will not grasp this ungraspable moment, this other-worldly embrace from my otherwise pesky friend the hawthorne tree.

Finally, mid-May, our other rhododendron begins to catch up with her blossoms. Different sides of the house make quite a difference.

More photos and thoughts from my ramblings to come soon.