A thousand sprays of blossoming color, fluttering in the wind. That’s the essence of the amazing crape myrtle tree, Eastern Shore Virginia’s gorgeous summer jewel, blooming brightly along highways, down country lanes, in yards large and small, lining driveways, gracing avenues, the focal point in many a landscaping plan. But I think nowhere on the Shore does it make its presence felt more beautifully than in the historic town of Cape Charles, where street signs proclaim the names of famous men and herald summer fruits and the soft sand beach beckons. But from July through September, for those heeding the call of their inner arborist, the crape myrtle becomes a center of attention. Their lacy blossoms dance enthusiastically in the breeze, flaunting deep magenta, brilliant shades of lilac and crimson, counterpoint to lively Natchez whites, together a symphony of spectacular color radiating out from Bay Avenue to Fig Street, from King’s Creek to Plantation Creek, literally along all points of the compass. Once again, in Summer 2018, the crepe myrtle reigned supreme