A Little Mesquite Told Me

Any native Texan knows that it doesn't matter squat what the groundhog says on February 2nd. Winter is over when the mesquite and pecan trees start to bud. Yesterday on my way home from work I spotted the first hint of green on a mesquite tree. It was only one that was testing the season, but I've not ever known a mesquite tree to be wrong about the end of winter. I wasn't able to take its picture, but a little ways down the road I've been keeping an eye on this fellow:

I believe this is an ancient chinaberry tree and the dried chinaberries are creating a golden glow in the blue sky. (I could very well be wrong, so if you know for sure what this is, let me know.) When the afternoon sun hits at just the right angle, the tree is a blaze of gold that no camera can capture in a picture.

This tree and its companion stand vigil over what will become a huge field of cotton in the fall. They are also at about the 1/2-way mark on my commute. They've become my friends over the past year. I sincerely hope they will not fall victim to a tacky subdivision or the unnecessary TransTexas corridor.

LSW