It is early spring here, and the acacia (wattle), magnolia and plum trees are in splendid bloom. Petals litter the roads like confetti. Jon Carroll writes a witty column most days for the San Francisco Chronicle. Yesterday’s column talked about people suffering from allergies caused by wattle pollen. Time to build walls against the Wattle Cabal, Carroll wrote. “Australia is a big place, and lots of places have no trees at all. Let’s repatriate the acacias, by force if necessary.” Guess it’s time for me to go home. I leave tomorrow. Most Americans do not know that the wattle is Australia’s national flower.