Fall is in the air...

 

Two years ago yesterday (September 1st) I shared a post titled Hilo's Bayfront is ablaze with color..., after last year when the trees were not as beautiful, they are again aflame with our version of fall colors.

Yes, fall is in the air... You might not think that our tropical island climates would allow for noticeable seasonal changes, but we do have them... maybe not as sharply contrastinc as in most mainland states, but seasons nevertheless.  In fall our sunlight is diffuses through the clouds as it you were seeing it through tinted glasses.  The evenings and earlu mornings are definitely cooler and there is a slight golden hue to everything around us.  

Hilo's Kamehameha Avenue, which paralels the bayfront shore, is lined with Cassia fistula x javanica, or as they a fittingly called, Rainbow Shower trees...and in fall the blooms burst forth in a riot of colors ranging from cream to yellow to orange to pink to flaming corals...a tropical tapestry woven with bits of blooms, green leaves and blue skies..

Although the trees when not blooming are sort of scraggly and nothing to write home about - they actually look a bit ackward, slightly disheveled and rumpled - as someone does who hasn't taken time to comb their hair or take off their pjs when getting up in the morning - when they bloom, they are spectacular and you can't help but be in complete awe at the sight.

When the trees start dropping their petals, the sidewalks look like they have been strewn with confetti and although I find Hilo beautiful regardless of the season, at this time of year it is filled with 'gorgeousness and gorgeousity'm to borrow a pair of words from a quote in a book by Anthony Burgess (I've always wanted to use them and finally find the perfect ocassion)

Confetti strewn grass

under sad and teary clouds...

Hilo is ablaze

Photos and haiku (c) Sonia R. Martinez

 

 

Comments

[Sonia]

Thanks, Louise...yes, they are spectacular when blooming.

What many people don't realize is that in Hawai'i we have many climates...specially on this one island. We have such diversity of conditions here on this one island, that we experience everything from tropics to sub-tropics, to temperate, to dessert and on to snow on our mountain volcano tops...
You can be on top of snow covered Mauna Kea in the morning and in less than two hours later be at Hapuna Beach swimming...

[Louise]

How gorgeous. I would never have thought of Hawaii in that context at all. Those trees are fabulous.

[Sonia]

Thank you, Mary...it is a very apt description in my opinion ;-) Most of the year I drive by and wonder why in the world the 'powers that be' would choose such as scraggly unkempt tree to grace our avenues and then they bloom... The sight is so spectacular it can, literally, take my breath away.

[Mary]

Rainbow Shower Trees~ what a wonderful and appropriate name! I had to chuckle at your description of they look when they're not blooming :) To everything there is a season! I do love confetti strewn sidewalks when the Cherry, Plum & Crepe Myrtle are sprinkling a confetti of petals.