The Master Painter

I don’t know about you, but I love this time of year. The world is so fresh and beautiful. I look out my window and see a fabulous pallet of color, as if the “Master Painter” has dipped his brush in spectacular colors and painted our earthly canvas. The Red Bud trees never fail to please, even if for a short time. Excitement abounds when I see the first Red Bud tree, with clusters of deep pink blossoms on leafless twigs, burst into bloom. Following close behind are the blossoming Cheery trees. Mine is full of gorgeous pink blooms this year. Plum trees are stately with their purple leaves and the Barkley Pear trees are stunning as usual. This year, the Dogwood trees are already sporting white and pink blooms. My Candytuft spreads over the ground in beautiful white puffs, meeting the contrasting green of the new grown grass. Yellow Forsythia shrubs are filling out in their usual spender. I can’t wait for the Azaleas to bloom, not to mention my all-time favorite, Spirea shrubs with their delicate, lace-like blossoms.

Bulbs are sporting their beautiful greenery, while many have heads of varying colors and shapes. I love the early tulips and buttercups, but, unfortunately, so do my deer friends that visit my yard on a regular basis. We never see a bloom; the tender shoots are their delicacies. The bulbs are obviously unhappy with their nibbling, for they eventually stop producing the beautiful green shoots. I do enjoy the colorful blooms in my neighbor’s yard.

I am not the only one that notices and loves the spring canvas. My little bird friends are very happy. Their songs are plentiful around my house, amid the flowering show of the “Master Painter.” They are busy nesting, carrying supplies in their small beaks. They also provide color to the already vibrant canvas. The blue jays are splendid in their very blue feathers, as they flutter around protecting their chosen nesting spot from the other birds. A red cardinal, with bright red feathers, seems to challenge the blue birds in a tree near my window. Robins are always showy with their rust breast shinning in the sun. The yellow finch adds yet another shade of color to my world, and who cannot notice the stately black crows, with their feathers so black they look like dark neon blue in the sunshine, as they perch against a white fence.

Oh yes, spring is beautiful. The color is spectacular, so much so that I have no memories today. Today, I live in the here and now, basking in its beauty, and feeling blessed to live in a world touched by the “Master Painter” in such a grandiose way!