When the cherry blossoms finally burst, I immediately did what I do every year--acquire a substantial bunch of them and sniff long and hard. Not only is the smell the best in the world, but as I whiff it up, all of a sudden all these feelings come seeping in.
It's that feeling of pure freedom... having the whole day to run wild, barefoot in soggy grass. Knee-deep, complicated quarrels with my best friend, Sam. Finishing my laundry folding in record time and calling up to their house and asking if he and his sister Juli could come down the hill to play.
Swinging on this swing set. Going as high as it would go, and grabbing bits of the tree with my toes.
Climbing the one tree that wasn't so inappropriately prone to stabbing me with pokey branches. Eating an apple and reading, reading, reading.
Laying on the ground and getting moist because the ground just isn't dry in springtime.
Hay-bale-twine bow-and-arrows and carved-wood daggers and epic battles and spy drama. Dying heroes. Indians creeping quietly around the back of the house.
Dashing into the barn when it poured, and using the hay bales and pallets as a whaling ship. Listening to the rain pound on the sheet metal roof.
Those sparkley days when the problems are so small. When the conflict is on whether Sam's character can be named Lafayette, or if I will tyrannically bully him into letting me be Lafayette. Gosh, Sam. I'm the one who has a crush on the guy.
Now we're all huge and I jolly well don't fit in that cherry tree anymore. Last time I got on the swings... the yellow seat busted.
And even though the cherry trees aren't blooming as thick as they used to, and we have a million-and-one things to worry about and not enough imagination or time to run around like mad and fight and scream and laugh and pretend that we're everything and everyone but ourselves,
life is awesome. in a different way. and I still get to sniff my trees once a year.
You photography is stunning!!
ReplyDeletei really like this post. it inspired me *very* much. thank you.
ReplyDeleteSo beautiful!
ReplyDeletexoxo,
colormenana.blogspot.com
Beautiful flowers and stunning photos!! How I wish we have cherry blossom trees here in the Philippines.
ReplyDeleteThose are such admirable photos--they truly capture the beauty of spring.
ReplyDeleteGORGEOUS pictures, Polka Dot!! Are those taken in Manual or Auto? Either way, they're awesome.
ReplyDeleteSo beautiful - I even like that one shot that is out of focus. Gorgeous.
ReplyDeleteWoah.. for a second I thought you meant you were doing those things... YIKES! :D
ReplyDeleteLol awesome post....
you should make it a tag of some sort...
This made me smile :)
ReplyDeleteBeautiful post- the pictures AND the words ;D Lucky you to actually have flowers already!
ReplyDeleteGorgeous. After reading this, I'm feeling pretty nostalgic, as I used to do many of the things you described.
ReplyDeleteAh, to go back for just a little while. :)
Beautiful post.
This post is just SO poignantly beautiful.
ReplyDeleteThis is one of your best posts, in my opinion... made me feel so bittersweet over my childhood, and memories of spring =)
ReplyDeleteAww...the gold old days. ;-)
ReplyDeleteWhat a bittersweet post! The photographs are lovely! I haven't ever seen a cherry tree in person, much less a blooming one... they just don't grow in the desert very often I guess. :)
ReplyDeleteTo the KING be all the glory!
Rebekah
Ah, such sweet memories.
ReplyDeleteThe whole Lafayette thing especially made me LOL. :-)
Stunning photos!
ReplyDeleteI've never had cherry trees on my property. :-( I agree, life is awesome, though in a completely different way. And part of what's awesome is the memories of a simpler, more carefree time and trying, even now, to hang on to at least a little bit of the spirit of that time. And now I get the added joy of watching my children live through their own childhoods. Sigh...
ReplyDeleteI love love love to take pictures of flowers! I guess that's why I love spring so much! Amazing pictures :D
ReplyDeleteGORGEOUS photos!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteThis was the best post.
ReplyDeleteEver.
Wow! This is the best post ever! Makes me wish I'd been little with you. :)
ReplyDeleteLOVE the photos! They are absolutely beautiful! =) I can't wait until the tress around here start blooming!
ReplyDeleteI added the "new" button!
Ooops, that "anon" that just posted was ME! ;)
ReplyDelete*Oops number two: I meant trees!
Lovely post,LOVE the photos! Beautiful!
ReplyDeleteThese photos are beautiful!
ReplyDeletehave your cake & eat it too
those are great pics.
ReplyDeleteI was doing some blog-surfing and found your blog. It's really good! I'm going to start following and I hope you'll check out my blog as well!
www.inletsandharbors.blogspot.com