Ahh. Early Spring In the Carolinas And My Street Smells Like Dead Bodies.

I hate winter. I know it’s necessary and all that but I have a serious allergy to being cold. The older I get the more I’m considering moving further south. Like Florida. The very tip of Florida closest to the sun. But I also want to have working AC and a pool or beach close by. I don’t want to get so hot I pass out. Maybe I should start a Go Fund Me page to pay for my move. 🙂

Here in NC its spring. Days are in the mid 70’s and nights are in the 40s and 50s. And now the flowers are blooming and the grass is growing (my teenage son is starting to have anxiety issues knowing he will have to start the grass mowing rituals soon). AND the Bradford Pear trees are in full bloom. You know what means. My entire street smells like decaying bodies. It is so pungent. If you don’t know anything about Bradford Pears, they smell rancid when the flowers on them bloom. It. Is. Awful.

When we moved to our ‘hood’ 20+ years ago, I was so excited about all the lush green Bradford Pears (nope, they don’t grow pears)  being planted all around our block. And when the flowers bloomed they were so pretty! But what was that smell? I thought for sure one of my neighbors had finally off’d her husband and she had put his body in their hot garage and we were smelling his decay! But then a few days later I saw him walking the dog. So, it wasn’t him. What was that smell!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I complained to my husband that something was for sure dead and rotting nearby to which he said to me, “you mean the smell from the Bradford Pears? That’s what they smell like when they’re in bloom.” To which I said, “I knew that.” And walked away in silence. I’m still pretty sure there are a few wives in my neighborhood that may have ‘disposed’ of their husbands. Just sayin.

Bradford Pears usually last about 15 years. At about that time we lost several in a hurricane that took out part of our fence. Then we had to remove the one in front of our house because it was starting to ‘sway’ when the wind blew and that meant it may take out our front porch. We have a few left in the backyard and I am certain every spring they will take out the back of our house in  the first thunderstorm. Until then I will panic before each storm. If one of those trees takes out the back of our house, I am on the way to my new home in sunny Florida. 🙂

Cheers Y’all!