Springtime in Austin

Spring has come to Austin. There are several ways you can tell:

• The Narcissus are starting to die and the Iris are starting to come out. I have seen Redbuds and Tulip Trees in bloom, as well as numerous small wildflowers.
  
• When you walk out the door you should carry an umbrella and sunscreen, wear a tank top, and bring a jacket. One never knows what the weather will be like before one returns. Tonight, we have a severe thunderstorm and hail predicted.
• The first or second week in February, the White Wing doves start to call (these are the ones Stevie Nicks sings about). The first week you may hear one or two. The second week you may hear five or six. The third week you will hear at least 128,000 cooing all at once. In my neighborhood we have a lot of Pecan trees and the doves don't like them as well as the Hackberries, so we don't have it as bad as some of the other neighborhoods where the Hackberries reign.