puberty

it's in the air; don't say i didn't warn you.
need evidence?

look at these little twigs, planted in the front yard of the orphanage back in november of '02 . . .

here they are in may of last year, in full spring beauty, along with my dwarf lilac bushes.

well, this year, my little twigs became adults. they have developed whirly-gigs. i think they're the autumn blaze maple equivalents of chest hair.

here, one of my little maples towers over the orphanage's station wagen, loaded with airplanes [the tree, not the volvo], waiting for takeoff on an upcoming windy day.

my tulip solitaire is looking mighty fine today, having survived the deluge of last weekend and the snow of a couple weeks ago. i have several more bulbs i plan to put in the bed next to this hardy harbinger of the spring yet to come.