We finally had someone coming to give us a quote on the broken tree clean-up, so I was out making sure my list was complete. It’s not exactly subtle out there: what’s wrong with this picture?

Are lilacs supposed to grow horizontally? Is this redbud limb having a nice meet-cute with these wooden chairs?

Still, there’s so much, it would be easy to undercount. As I inspected the fallen tops of some crabapple trees, hoping none of the gathering spring birds decided to build nests in these branches bound for the chipper, I noticed a DTE utility truck parked on the street. It had a sign I’d never seen before on its door panel: “Assaulting a utility worker is a felony.” With hotline number. I certainly never approve of assault – and isn’t any assault a felony? – but the image of DTE customers enraged by long, repeated power outages taking to the streets with pitchforks somehow seemed sad and funny at the same time. Funny, because I couldn’t really believe it would happen. Sad, because apparently it does.

Meanwhile, cheery things are also happening. Between the fallen branches the first daffodils are starting to bloom.

Indoors, my tulips are going crazy on the windowsill. I’m a little late starting my seeds. Think I’ll go do that right now.