Just as the days start to warm and for the first time the mercury climbs to the 70’s in the heat of a nice day, dogwood winter signals a last spasm of the fading grip of winters fingers on the landscape. Right around Easter, along comes one last burst of cold often accompanied by snow. Sunny and in the 70’s one day, then a coat of white on the ground, one last reminder that winter does not go easily into slumbering retirement.

Dogwood winter is typically a mild event. It can also be a wicked slap to the fresh face of spring with it’s new blooms and emerging growth. Last year saw a couple inches of snow on Easter Sunday. The plastic eggs missed by children who ruined their Sunday shoes in the wet surprise were opened weeks later by the lawnmower or spotted still hiding amongst leaves in the garden. At it’s worst, dogwood winter can bring an ice storm which snaps the branches off the pear, apple, and cherry trees laden with blooms and foil the early plantings of the farmers with a freeze.

This rite of passage has come, a signal from nature that it’s calendar progresses according to it’s own whim. The fluffy flakes of today will be gone tomorrow and we can now move into spring with this behind us.

PS – good riddance. Time to ride.

Wayne@americaridesmaps.com

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