I love lilacs.  A lot.  One of the best things about living in New England is that there are lots and lots of lilac trees here.  Way more than any other place I have ever lived.  I like to stop and smell them, and every few years, I go to the Arnold Arboretum and glory in the hundreds of lilac trees they have there.

So why am I sad about lilacs now?  Because I am writing this on April 19, 2012, and I've been seeing lilac trees in bud for several days now.  Lilacs aren't supposed to be in bud here until May - the middle of May.  They are a full month early the way I see it.  

We have had a wacky winter in New England. Following the great amounts of snow wehad last year, this winter has been exceptionally mild, and at times, even tropical with there being days in a row of weather in the eighties.  

Yes, there is climate change, and yes,people are part of what is exacerbating climate change.  What signs of climate change have you noticed where you live?  What are you doing to help the rate of climate change slow down?

I never thought I'd be sad to see lilacs, and yes, I will still stop and smell them, but what will I do in the middle of May when they might even be gone?  I'll be sad again, but roses will probably be blooming early too.