Flowering gold tree at Linekona
Usually, Kris gives me a ride in her silver VW Beetle. Today, the gold tree in the parking lot shouted to be photographed.
Fat clusters of delicious gold blossoms
Still beautiful even after being dropped and trashed
Indigenous people venerate trees as living spirits, each with their own personality. Since gold trees lose their leaves before they can blossom, they symbolize to me the importance of letting go as an ongoing part of life. This tree at Linekona may well be saying, "Don't worry about a thing. You're a glorious living work of art, even as you fall by the wayside, as we all eventually will."
Thinking of decay, I wondered how my friends would regard me if my circumstances were different -- like, say, I lived in a dump. Well, Kris and I decided we needed an adventure. Kris knew an area with some not-so-desirable features. Euwe! We picked a house at random.
"Don't forget to take a picture of the garage." Kris said.
So I did, even though I was shooting against the sun.
By the way, a Lexus was parked not far from it.
What kind of person would I be if I lived here?
Would my present friends come and visit me?
I like to think, though, that even if my finances would be so slim that I could not afford to live in a better place than this, that I would still be resourceful enough to make it into an interesting place with some kind of personal flair. At least, I'd like to think so.
Then we found this funky place with a seemingly perpetual sale.
Then driving by what used to be the Rose Garden behind the Waikiki Zoo, we passed by this enormous flowering tree. Not sure if it's a gold tree too? Is it?
And so it goes.
That's called a Golden SHOWER Tree, because it showers petals onto the ground. Really spectacular when the yellow petals shower an EMERALD GREEN lawn!!!
ReplyDeleteWhen I was a single mom on welfare, back in the 1970s, I lived in a dump of an apartment next to a freeway. There was graffiti all over the place. But, guess what, my friends (including the mayor's daughter) attended my dinner parties (Indian shrimp curry).
Now that I am married and live somewhere better, what's happened to those friends? I have not seen them in years! We have gone our separate ways...
Thanks, Gigi. You can part ways with friends, but good food is always a magnet. And whatever name the tree goes by, it never fails to be spectacular, does it?
ReplyDeleteOne does the best one can. I live in a dump (semi-basement) right now, and the color & vibrancy of the art work on the walls helps keep me sane in its' gloom. Your two ladies certainly help, Elsha. My uneven housekeeping (depending on health) is more of a deterrent than the ugly space I think!
ReplyDeleteLove the trees and memory of events attended at Linekona.
Any idea what transpired with the rose garden? My daughter & I would walk there when I lived just off Kapahulu and she attended Lincoln.
Kate, the rose garden is long gone. It's planted now with native Hawaiian plants. A much better and more sustainable plan. It's a haven, of course, for the houseless. On the Ewa side of the garden is an area that is partly sheltered by a trellised roof. Last January, because of impending rain, our community garden held our monthly meeting there, much to the chagrin of the "inhabitants." So much so, in fact, that some decided to stay put on the benches they slept on, thus adding some interesting flavor and scents to the meeting.
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