Praise then darkness, and creation unfinished

I saw and, more importantly, smelled my first lilac of the spring this afternoon, a white lilac with many open blossoms. I thought at first that it was going to be a washout, literally—there was noticeable rain falling—and then walked a little further down the sidewalk, which put me downwind of the lilac. There are lilac bushes closer to my apartment, but they're waiting for more sunny days, or something.

Also on that walk I saw white violets, rhododendrons, forsythia, periwinkle, tulips, daffodils, and dandelions. (And two just-planted rosebushes, fully in bloom, which was disconcerting.) There are a lot of purple violets blooming near me, and some maple trees that haven't dropped all their flowers yet.

Weather permitting, I hope to go to the Arnold Arboretum on Tuesday and enjoy their lilacs.