Snake Bit

Snake-bit. That describes my attempts to get suitable pictures of that ornamental cherry tree outside my door that is in full-bloom… for the first time in two years… three, if one counts this year. The weather has simply not been cooperative, what with multiple cold fronts marching down from the north like Sherman through Georgia. Our normally brilliant, bright, sunshiny days and indescribably blue skies have been replaced with an oppressive, smothering sort of gray that varies from a full-blown darkest-of-dark overcasts to thin gray-white clouds, with predictable impact on available light.

Cherry blossoms are ephemeral things with the shortest of lives, so I’m feeling time-constrained when it comes to capturing the images I want. I’m somewhat surprised the blossoms have lasted as long as they have, what with the first fragile pink blooms appearing one week ago today. Speaking of today… the tree is probably just a wee bit beyond full bloom at the moment, yet remains in what I would call a glorious state. Here are a couple of less-than-impressive shots I took a few minutes ago.

The images above were mildly Photoshopped to increase contrast and adjust the color balance in an attempt to overcome the washed-out quality of today's light. That said... it’s clearing up a bit as I post. Perhaps the light will be better this afternoon and I can realize the goal.

―:☺:―

In other snake-bit news… my rescheduled titanium screw implant procedure was supposed to happen tomorrow but has been put off again. This time it’s on me and not the Good Doctor. I’ve come down with another one of those recurring, irritating, and mildly discomforting oral infections that makes oral surgery inadvisable, as there's no sense in tempting fate... such as the spread of said infection to the areas scheduled for slicing and dicing. So: next week, yet again.