What A Wreck

 I have no idea what is really going on here. Two overturned, partly crushed cars and a dummy rest under the trees. The dummy's expression is stoic but the painfully awkward position of his left hand and his missing lower legs hint at some traffic catastrophe. Was someone trying to recreate a scenario from one of those 1960s high school driving class movies that were designed to transform teenagers into timid (and therefore hopefully safer) drivers? All was silent and peaceful except for the birds singing and  chirping. The dummy had nothing to say

Wisteria Over My Head

 From a half-block away, I noticed a lavender-tinted cloud. It was a very large wisteria growing so vigorously that the home owners had built another support to span the sidewalk. Foot-long panicles covered the structure and hung out into the street, creating a tunnel. Standing under the wisteria, looking up through the tangle of woody stems at the masses of blooms above me, I was treated to all the colors of spring: every tint and tone of the wisteria, its bright yellow leaves and the fresh greens of the trees.

Tulips and Ivy

 Spring is the perfect time to wander along the brick sidewalks of Old Town Alexandria where so many houses bear plaques proclaiming their age or historical significance. A row of tulips sets off a brick wall with the most amazingly disciplined English ivy, cajoled into repeating geometric forms. I admire it with a slight twinge of envy, thinking about the ivy that creeps in my yard, going wherever it wants despite my never ending efforts to eradicate or at least tame it.

Spring Greens

As the days lengthen, every type of plant is experiencing a growth spurt. Trees and shrubs take on a new color cast. New growth might be silvery green, chartreuse or even a rosy tint. The fresh stems and barely opened leaves peek through fences or hover along the very tips of vines and branches. Their exuberance is untidy, but lively, evidence that spring is well underway.