Time Warp

Silver Maple Flowers

 I just got back to NC from a trip to NY. I was only gone for a week but things were so different when I got back, I feel like I was transported through time.
When I left NY it was 28deg., snow on the ground and barely any sign of life in the natural world. When I got home 12hours later, it was 83deg., Daffodils blooming, Forsythia in bloom, the grass starting to get green, the Silver Maples in full bloom and the Spring Peepers are singing their song.! What a difference a day makes!
 Most people don't realize that the fuzziness they see on the trees in the Spring are millions of tiny flowers. I have heard many people say they thought it was the leaves starting to come out. But when you look more closely you will see how beautiful that fuzziness becomes.
 Maple flowers are edible, though most have a somewhat bitter taste, some are sweet. They are good added to other foods like salads, cereals or pancakes.Just a word of caution, I always remind people that if they are allergic to pollen they should be cautious when eating flowers. See all that yellow stuff on the stamens in the photo, thats all pollen! In the past many parts of the Maple have been used for food and medicine but I don't know of anyone who uses them today except, of course, for making maple syrup and the wood for various constructions.
Peace