Everett Taylor: Taylor's Yarns

By EVERETT TAYLOR

Tyler's 49th Annual Azalea and Spring Flower Trail opened Friday beating the official arrival of spring by six days.

Thus, this first big weekend of the Azalea Trail has been heavy on such things as opening ceremonial events and other activities ranging from arts and crafts, porcelain and art exhibits and flower shows to a chili cook-off and historic homes.

Blossoms of azaleas and other flowering plants are starting to emerge, but the best floral displays still are ahead, with officials speculating that next weekend, which will feature Easter Sunday, might be the period of peak floral beauty along the Trail and throughout the city.

Greenery is rapidly emerging this weekend, and that might be appropriate since Monday will see the observance of St. Patrick's Day with its "wearing of the green."

By the time spring officially arrives Thursday the floral portion of the Azalea Trail is expected to be getting to the spectacular state.

Spring's arrival usually gets a little more attention that some of the other season changes because it also is significant for astronomical reasons.

On the first day of spring the Sun will cross directly over the Earth's equator, a moment known as the vernal equinox in the Northern Hemisphere. Conversely, it is the moment of the autumnal equinox in the Southern Hemisphere.

A literal translation of equinox is "equal night." Because the sun is positioned above the equator, day and night are about equal in length all over the world during the equinoxes. That figures out to a 12-hour day and a 12-hour night whether it is measured by daylight- saving time or not.

This all will happen on Thursday.

By Friday the azalea and other spring flowers should be out in prominence throughout the city, and it should be "condition beautiful" for several days after that.

One of the more intriguing events that has become associated with the Azalea Trail in recent years is scheduled for Saturday, March 29.

It is the "Spirits of Oakwood" tour, planned for 1 to 6 p.m. that date in Oakwood Cemetery, Palace at Oakwood streets. Tours start every 15 minutes beginning at 1 p.m.

Docents in period costumes will lead guests to gravesites of historical figures from the past where historians will portray the "departed spirits," said Maxine Herbst, chairwoman of the event.

Different "spirits" are chosen every year, and the people who portray them present interesting and informative talks about "their" lives. The last tour will begin at 4:30 p.m. Proceeds from the $5 ticket cost goes to repairing broken markers in the cemetery.

Mrs. Herbst said the project also has the objective of acquainting more people "of the history in Oakwood and Tyler."

Donations to help with the project also are welcome.

Another event with an historical overtone will be held that same weekend, on Sunday, March 30.

Robert E. Reed Jr., author of "Tyler," a photographic book detaining the history of Tyler, will make a public appearance at the Tyler Public Library at 2 p.m. in Taylor Auditorium.

Reed is current president of the Smith County Historical Society. His new Tyler photographic history book was released by Arcadia Publishing on Feb. 18. It has 230 vintage photographs covering Tyler's history from founding through the 1960s.

HOUSING WOES

People harboring any doubts about the severity of the economic downturn in the housing market perhaps were convinced if they heard a newscaster's breathless report a couple of days ago that the median value of a home in California had plunged to $420,000.

Everett Taylor
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