Azaleas in Bloom and Nests in the Making

Spring officially arrived two days ago, and it’s already painting the town; quite literally.

Driving around Pensacola lately feels like moving through a dream. Azaleas are everywhere, bursting into bloom with a kind of exuberance that’s impossible to ignore. Hedges, yards, old Southern foundations; all awash in shades of hot pink, magenta, coral, and snowy white. Some seem to glow from within, especially against the backdrop of still-bare trees or last fall’s lingering brown leaves. It’s as if the whole city suddenly remembered it was alive.

This vibrant spectacle always catches me off guard, no matter how many springs I’ve seen. It’s one thing to expect flowers, it’s another to be stopped by them. To feel, even in a quick drive to the store, a kind of awe.

In the traditional Japanese microseason calendar, this time of year is known as Sparrows Begin to Nest. And while we don’t have Japanese sparrows here, our local birds are just as busy. Carolina Wrens can be heard singing as they line their nests with moss and fluff. Eastern Bluebirds scout the landscape for hollow spaces. Northern Cardinals flash through the azalea branches, already laying claim to territory. Even high above, Red-shouldered Hawks may be tending nests in tall pines.

There’s a gentle urgency in the air. The world is waking up. Not all at once, but in waves. Flowers blooming, birds nesting, soil warming. And us? Maybe we’re waking up too. Feeling the pull to build something new. To grow. To notice.

Spring didn’t just arrive; it burst in, purse first. And for that, I’m grateful.