Spring 7: Lotsa things jumpin

April vacation is my traditional start to the boating season, and everything else takes a backseat to the trip and its preparations.  But now I'm back, and catching up with what's been going on.  

Before it gets too much to keep track of, here's what's jumping now.

The black cherry whose leafing-out led the charge into spring
(at least for native trees I saw), is preparing to flower.  Photo May 1.

The red maple around the block had flowers with winged seeds (aka "keys") just peeking out; 

now the keys have grown to dominate, the flower petals now merely fringe at their bases.

Photos taken April 19 and 24, and May 3.

The Norway maples have leaves emerging behind the flowers from the same buds.

 

The sugar maples around the block are blooming and leafing-out at a great rate

--racing the Norway maples.  Photos April 28, May 3.

The red oak around the block from me has gone from this to this.  The flowers and leaves are 

emerging together, even though they come from separate buds.  Photos April 28, May 4.

The big paper birch around the block went from having only male flowers blooming (long hanging catkins), 

to having female (up-curved catkins) and very young leaves, which are emerging from the same buds.  Photos April 28, May 1.

Some blueberries have young leaves, and flowers preparing to bloom.  Photo May 2.

Staghorn sumac, a weak-stemmed shrub or small tree that grows abundantly at the high school, has leaves just emerging.  (It's name comes from the resemblance of the fuzzy stems to a stag's horns.)  Photos May 3.