LOOOOOONG-time fans of the City of Nouns might just remember Grill Hobstein. Yesterday, just after I’d returned from walking Gregory to school, he called my cell. “Mommy,” he said with remorse in his voice, “I forgot my lunch.” So, off I went, lunchbag in hand and camera around my neck. The picture above shows downtown Metuchen in the distance. You can tell where “downtown” is by the puff of white trees. That puff of white trees is better-known in MY house as “Grill Hobstein.”

You see, way back in ancient times when Gregory was 3, he would mumble things, and one time he mumbled “Grill Hobstein” over and over and over until we finally figured out that he was trying to tell us that something smelled yucky.

What was it that smelled so bad it needed its own name?

A-HA! Blossoming pear trees! Ew! Grill Hobstein, dude!

Been to downtown Metuchen this week? The pear trees are beautiful, no? At the same time, you might be wondering, “What is that smell? Did somebody leave rotten fish out somewhere?”

No rotten fish. It’s just Grill Hobstein. Bradford pears, aristocrat pears, ornamental flowering pears in blossom smell yucky. Yet another reason to plant anything else.

Nineteen days after Easter: A few buds on the dogwood we’ve been watching are really quite beautiful!

Special note to readers in my microclimate (Metuchen and Edison): how are your dogwoods doing? Mine tends to flower-up a week ahead of most, and lose its leaves a week later, so I was just wondering if that trend is happening this year.
Nobody guessed that the tree would blossom by the nineteenth day after Easter. The next guess would be my original guess, made about a week before Easter — I said the tree would reach full blossom by April 13. But I’m not so sure about that now!

Carolina Girl said 23 days after Easter — April 15.

Steve G. said 24 days — April 16.

Nancy said 25 days — April 17.

Melissa said 38 days — April 30.

Jeff from Linden said 40 days — May 2.

Gabe said 51 days past Easter — May 13.

Readers have been trying to guess the number of days past Easter that our tree will reach FULL BLOSSOM, or, the point at which the majority of the blossom buds on the tree are all open to their fullest point. Hope you’re not too bored watching my dogwood! Not sure if I’ll manage to get a shot on Saturday. My camera’s in the shop getting the sensor cleaned (so I wouldn’t be able to get the shot early in the morning) and I have a very full schedule after that, including a big date tomorrow night to see Guys and Dolls at the high school with my sweet little Gregory. Love you, Gregory!

Eighteen days after Easter: The dogwood we’ve been watching really doesn’t seem all that close to full blossom yet. This is taking longer than I thought it would!

Cheryl guessed the tree would be at full blossom by today, 18 days after Easter — April 10. Sorry Cheryl — she’s not there yet!

My original guess was 21 days — April 13.

Carolina Girl said 23 days after Easter — April 15.

Steve G. said 24 days — April 16.

Nancy said 25 days — April 17.

Melissa said 38 days — April 30.

Jeff from Linden said 40 days — May 2.

Gabe said 51 days past Easter — May 13.

Readers have been trying to guess the number of days past Easter that our tree will reach FULL BLOSSOM, or, the point at which the majority of the blossom buds on the tree are all open to their fullest point. Those of us who put our guesses in early are biting the dust quick! But the best is yet to come! (I’m betting there’s going to be some new night shots coming soon.)

Seventeen days after Easter: From a distance, she still looks like the dead of winter.

But if you look up close at the dogwood we’ve been watching (wearing your rose colored glasses), the beauty of the intense colors might just make you gasp!

But plenty of buds are still fully enclosed, even if the baby leaves aren’t.

We have 11 guesses as to how many days past Easter it will take our dogwood to reach full blossom.

My Gemini optimistic alter ego lost when she said 11 days.

Brad and Heidi both said 17 days — April 9. Sorry Brad and Heidi. She’s not there yet!

Cheryl said 18 days — April 10.

My original guess was 21 days — April 13.

Carolina Girl said 23 days after Easter — April 15.

Steve G. said 24 days — April 16.

Nancy said 25 days — April 17.

Melissa said 38 days — April 30.

Jeff from Linden said 40 days — May 2.

Gabe said 51 days past Easter — May 13.

Thanks to all the readers who guessed the number of days past Easter that our tree will reach FULL BLOSSOM, or, the point at which the majority of the blossom buds on the tree are all open to their fullest point. Please don’t get too bored of dogwood pictures. The best is yet to come!

Sixteen days after Easter: Am I weird?

The dogwood we’ve been watching is slowly beginning to blossom!

IT’S SO EXCITING TO WATCH TREES GROW!

We have 11 guesses now as to how many days past Easter it will take our dogwood to reach full blossom.

My Gemini optimistic alter ego lost when she said 11 days.

Brad and Heidi both said 17 days — April 9.

Cheryl said 18 days — April 10.

My original guess was 21 days — April 13.

Carolina Girl said 23 days after Easter — April 15.

Steve G. said 24 days — April 16.

Nancy said 25 days — April 17.

Melissa said 38 days — April 30.

Jeff from Linden said 40 days — May 2.

Gabe said 51 days past Easter — May 13.

What’s your guess? We’re guessing the number of days past Easter that our tree will reach FULL BLOSSOM, or, the point at which the majority of the blossom buds on the tree are all open to their fullest point. (These early blossoms shown today will be fallen to the ground by then.)

Fifteen days after Easter: LOOKY LOOKY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

SHE’S OPENING UP!!!!!!!!!!

The dogwood we’ve been watching is actually beginning to blossom!

We have 10 guesses now as to how many days past Easter it will take our dogwood to reach full blossom.

My Gemini optimistic alter ego said 11 days. (Come and gone.)

Brad and Heidi both said 17 days — April 9.

Cheryl said 18 days — April 10.

My original guess was 21 days — April 13.

Carolina Girl said 23 days after Easter — April 15.

Steve G. said 24 days — April 16.

Melissa said 38 days — April 30.

Jeff from Linden said 40 days — May 2. (Love the symbolism of “40 days.”)

Gabe said 51 days past Easter — May 13, his sister, Hayley’s, birthday.

What’s your guess? We’re guessing the number of days past Easter that our tree will reach FULL BLOSSOM. I estimate that it will take at least a week from the time the tree first begins to noticeably open up to the time she’s considered to be in full blossom.

Fourteen days after Easter: What exactly does “full blossom” mean anyway? Here’s the Sunday picture of the dogwood we’ve been watching.

Clearly, she’s not at “full blossom” today, even though these two buds seem to be at different stages in the blossoming process. The top photograph shows a bud near the bottom of the tree where it’s shady some of the time. The next photograph shows a bud just above the middle at about 20 feet up into the tree, in a more sunny place. Does it make a difference? Sunny, or shady? Hmm.

So in my effort to get a shot that somehow looks different from all the other shots I’ve taken of the buds on this tree in the last 14 days, I’ve gotten up at dawn, been out shooting at midnight, climbed up under, and hung out the window pointing down in the rain.

The one above is cool because I was hanging out the window sideways. I like all the different materials in this shot — green of the evergreen arborvitae, bricks, vinyl siding, metal window frame, and of course, our trusty flowerless deciduous dogwood.

OH WHEN WILL SHE EVER BLOSSOM?! I’m getting bored taking pictures of dogwood buds!

HELP!



We have 10 guesses now as to how many days past Easter it will take our dogwood to reach full blossom.

My Gemini optimistic alter ego said 11 days. (Come and gone.)

Brad and Heidi both said 17 days — April 9.

Cheryl said 18 days — April 10.

My original guess was 21 days — April 13.

Carolina Girl said 23 days after Easter — April 15.

Steve G. said 24 days — April 16.

Melissa said 38 days — April 30.

Jeff from Linden said 40 days — May 2. (Love the symbolism of “40 days.”)

Gabe said 51 days past Easter — May 13, his sister, Hayley’s, birthday.

What’s your guess? Remember, we’re looking for FULL BLOSSOM. I estimate that it will take at least a week from the time the tree first begins to noticeably open up to the time she’s considered to be in full blossom. And as of today, Day 14 after Easter, we are still not seeing very much movement.

Thirteen -days- nights after Easter: More night shots of the dogwood we’ve been watching.

I thought the first night shot was so cool that I’d try it again when it wasn’t raining.

Plus, I was taking that first one at just before midnight with my flash set up on a tripod off-camera.

My neighbor, Tom, came to his backdoor while I was out there. He probably saw the flashing and thought something weird was going on.

Not that taking pictures of trees at midnight with an off-camera flash is a perfectly sane thing to do.

They don’t call me “crazy tree lady” for nothing.

Incidentally, we now have nine official guesses as to how many days past Easter it will take our dogwood to reach full blossom.

My Gemini alter ego said 11 days. (Wrong.)

Brad and Heidi both said 17 days — April 9.

Cheryl said 18 days — April 10.

My original guess was 21 days — April 13.

Carolina Girl said 23 days after Easter — April 15.

Melissa said 38 days — April 30.

Jeff from Linden said 40 days — May 2. (Love the symbolism of “40 days.”)

Gabe said 51 days past Easter — May 13, his sister, Hayley’s, birthday.

Happy Sunday! What’s your guess?

Twelve -days- nights after Easter: As promised — night shot of the dogwood we’ve been watching. I was crazy busy all day and didn’t get a chance to shoot my dogwood, then I was at Marcella’s fabulous jewelry party. I barely managed to get this shot before midnight! I love how the off-camera light gives us a new perspective on the texture and shape of this part of the bud.


Incidentally, we now have six official guesses as to how many days past Easter it will take our dogwood to reach full blossom.

My Gemini alter ego said 11 days. (Obviously, my overly optimistic side needs to chill.)

Brad and Heidi both said 17 days — April 9.

My original guess was 21 days — April 13.

Carolina Girl said 23 days after Easter — April 15.

Melissa said 38 days — April 30.

Jeff from Linden said 40 days — May 2. (Love the symbolism of “40 days.”)



Oh Happy Saturday! What’s your guess?

Eleven days after Easter: Can you see the drama of the dogwood watch? From a distance, I would never have noticed that this tree is on the verge of beginning to blossom.

Zooming in on the same picture, I see a hundred bullet pointers! (That’s what pointers that have little round dots on the end are called in info-graphics.) Is it just me, or are you just as excited as I am to see all those dots turn into big beautiful flowers? It’s a yearly miracle!

What do you think: is that the moon above or the sun?

I was trying to get both buds in focus but seriously blur the background.

Shifting just a little in my frame, I get the fireplace blurred in the background instead of the arborvitae. Wow, it really changes the whole look of the picture. Backgrounds, even blurry ones, are SO important!

(This is the picture above, zoomed in really close.)

Months before we started to see leaves emerging, and the coloring up of the petals, and the slightest hint of the petals beginning to open, this one bud was inside that tree, ever so slowly pushing through. I think of trees as being asleep in the winter, almost lifeless. But that’s SO not true! The miracle is happening. I just can’t see it until the dawn of spring.

I wonder what other little miracles like that are happening all around me right now that I’m missing. What else is just below the surface? My dogwood is reminding me to slow down, rest, appreciate the miracle of starting again.


We have five super-official guesses as to how long it will take our dogwood to reach full blossom.

I said 21 days after Easter — April 13.

My Gemini alter ego said 11 days. (Since that milestone has come and gone, my alter ego is the big loser.)

Brad and Heidi both said 17 days — April 9.

Carolina Girl said 23 days after Easter — April 15.

Jeff from Linden said 40 days — May 2. (Love the symbolism of “40 days.”)



What’s your guess?