Redbud. It’s got such pretty blossoms and the leaves are a really pleasing shape.

You could mark one of the blades with red or blue paint so that you know you’re measuring the same one every time.

Some things I’ve noticed in my early 40s:

• You talk about things like property taxes and 401k contributions more often than you ever thought would be possible
• You seriously weigh whether a drink is worth the bad sleep and headache it’ll cause you
• Your pop-culture references are lost on younger folks
• You start referring to college-aged people as “kids”
• You need reading glasses but you’re in denial about it
• Injuries take longer to heal
• Those of your peers who haven’t taken care of themselves are starting to have serious health issues
• You care more about flossing, skincare, fiber, and hydration
• You still rock bottom eyeliner like you did in high school
• You’ve seen fashion from your high school years go out of style and then come back as “retro”
• You see the utter confusion on your nephew’s face when you explain that you used to keep a quarter in your bike pouch in case you needed to call someone, because he doesn’t remember a time before cell phones and his generation isn’t allowed to just roam around unsupervised on their bikes
• You have strong opinions about things like laundry detergent brands
• Birds become fascinating
• You have no problem spending a few hundred dollars on a new kayak paddle, but the price of cold cuts these days is just unacceptable