I feel like a fool. Looking back at my previous post, I remembered talking about how much I could sense that spring was coming, only for there to be a freak blizzard the day afterwards. I think (perhaps I should say this hesitantly) that now it’s safe to say that spring is actually in the air; hopefully we won’t have another heap of snow dumped on us in the coming weeks.
Anyway, at my reflection spot across the lake, I ponder my surroundings. The rain earlier today has left everything quite drenched. At least it’s not snow, I think to myself. It’s also very warm and humid, and I take that to be a sign that spring is coming, I hope. As much as I am excited for warmer temperatures, I dread spring time in Richmond for one reason: I get horrible allergies. In the coming weeks I’ll probably have to deal with what amounts to a non-stop runny nose, and on top of that everything on my face will itch like crazy.
But still, I am excited for the life to return to everything. It will certainly make it a lot easier for us to identify the different species of trees on campus when all of the leaves return to their respective branches. Looking around, I’m surprised by how I can now recognize the names of the trees that surround me now. I see loblolly pine, of course, which are all over campus, I see a willow tree to my left (black willow?), and a sycamore behind me. It’s cool, having the ability to recognize these trees now; it’s not that I’ve somehow gained an appreciation for them that I didn’t have before, it’s that I never really payed attention to what they were called. Before, any tree was just a “tree.” There are still quite a few trees that I still can’t name on campus; I look forward to attempting to be an expert on the trees of UofR in the next few weeks.