Spine and Open

Just south of the south end of the Ballard Bridge is a good-sized, mature clump of witch hazels.  Yesterday, I noticed that their other-worldly and carnival inspired flowers had all opened en masse.  Witch hazel is actaully fairly new to me; they are much more common back east, but out west they are a little rare.  And most of the year they look like a small alder or some other decidous shrub.  I remember the first time I saw one, it was winter, most of the plant life were still in their slumber, except a few bulbs that were starting to send up their promising shoots.  There was this large shrub with no leaves and an enormous amount of small, yellow, octopus-like flowers, emitting this simple, complex aroma.  How can I say simple complex aroma?  The aroma of witch hazel is very pure, it doesn’t really change over time or distance, that is why I would call it simple.  The reason I call it complex is becaue it is a hard to describe scent.  Many folks know it from their grandmother’s medicine cabinet, as “Hammamelis water.”  I was unable to smell this clump of witch hazel’s becuase of the prevailing winds, and I think the shear cold of the morning had numbed my face completely.  Even though I could not capture the fragrance, I felt a surge of joy.  The appearance of the flowers means that spring is comming.  Thank you Witch Hazels!