A is for Arrgh, the pollen is terrible. I am constantly choking momentarily this time of year from Allergies.
A is for Apple blossoms on my trees. One tree blooms early and if it freezes and knocks the young fruit or blossoms off, it blooms again. Another tree, people ask if it is dead. Everything has budded and it is still dormant. Then in its own sweet time it blooms and comes to life. Whoever knew a tree could have an attitude?
Spring is coming late this year. We have many plants that normally bloom at different times blooming the same weeks this year. The last freeze of the year, we hope, was March 29th. It was a heavy frost because it has been raining a lot. When he have a heavy snow it is usually at the end of March. Of course, a heavy snow is usually Apple blossoms on the ground. It frosts like heck all winter here.
My favorite spring plant is the Wild Azalea.
Wild asparagus grows along the side of the road. People used to pick it this time of year. I would be wary now with so much pesticide and herbicides used plus exhaust from cars on the road.
This is an unusual picture of an Armadillo. I've seen one flattened to the ground in a protective mode. Like deer, they feed where the forest and grass meet which is often beside a road. Unlike deer, they eat insects and not grass. One evening at dusk, I saw the biggest rabbit in my front yard and I realized those big ears were those of an Armadillo and possibly a male one as large as the creature was. My yard is covered with small holes from their digging white grubs.
There are many jokes about Armadillos. One is that they are the only animal born dead on the side of the road. Another one is an Armadillo is possum on the half shell. Some adventurous souls eat them. Armadillos can carry leprosy. However, it is only transmittable to humans if the meat is not cooked well.
By VladLazarenko (Own work) [CC BY 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
This map is from Wikimedia Commons. The red areas are where armadillos are found and the pink is where their range will eventually expand. With global warming, Canada could find them there in 50 years.
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Never knew I could become a leper from an Armadillo, guess I'll stick to never eating them lol spring sure is taking its sweet time this year.
ReplyDeleteIn my play about Canadian occupied Florida, one of the jokes revolves around the serving of fried opossum chunks at a nail salon. lol, I guess I can have the comeback when the people gasp from eating possum that "you would have thought it was armadillo they way they acted".
DeleteI don't think winter is quite through with everyone yet.
Wow! That was informational. I never knew about an animal called Armadillo..
ReplyDeleteSorry you have allergies. I did know that about Armadillos and leprosy. Weird to think about them spreading all the way to us in PA.
ReplyDeleteA good start to your first A-Z. My FIL had asparagus growing on the fence rail of his garden and it was delicious.
ReplyDeleteSpring has been coming very late here, too. It needs to get here already. :) I love that picture of the armadillo!
ReplyDeleteToday is the first day that I have noticed the trees blossoming here. No wonder my eyes are itching, So pretty, but get out the kleenex.
ReplyDeleteMary
The View from my World
I see you had a hard time coming up with an "A" word :)
ReplyDeleteGood luck with the challenge! and your allergies - my husband is miserable this year
Interesting facts on armadilloes. They're not indigenous to Africa, so I've never seen one in the flesh. Looking forward to reading the "B" :-)
ReplyDeleteYeah; allergies are a bitch, for sure! I've never seen an armadillo up close, much less eaten one and that's probably a good thing. Leprosy - yikes! I was reading through the comments and this got my attention: "In my play about Canadian occupied Florida". Sounds hilarious - is it published? Would love to read that, being Canadian, myself. ☺
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