GOLDEN RAIN

THE NOSEY NEIGHBOR, here reporting on her late morning photo walk.  Oct. 8, 2021

Gorgeous Autumn Spectacle

And what to my wandering eyes did appear on Lemay Street, a block full of Golden Rain Trees, aka Chinese Flame trees on a street awash of autumn spectacle, in the color of fall, I must've missed on previous adventures.  All that glitters is not gold.

I stood there amazed capturing the scene.  A man walking his dog, stopped wondering what had captured my attention as I stood in the middle of the street in awe.

 I explained to him how could I have missed this block.  We chatted for awhile.  He turned around and walked the other way as I continued to capture the endless golden litter left.

The Chinese flame tree puts on these outstanding shows several times a year in my back yard but to have a whole street dedicated to that tree excited me.

Big heads of tiny fragrant yellow flowers are followed by festive, eye-catching, reddish pink to salmon-rose papery miniature Chinese lantern-like seed capsules that stand out against the green foliage, and some hang on the tree for months or even until the next bloom.

Rose-colored Chinese lanterns dangling from branches

One cannot ignore the beauty of such a spectacular specimen of God's creation.  My head was still spinning as I headed for home.  So the thing about SoCal is that the leaves and flowers on the trees just keep hanging on and don't loose their grip easily, making  "hanging on for dear life" a new meaning.

"Hang on for dear life" took on a whole new meaning when riding in the car with my Dad at the wheel.  What would be considered driving like a maniac here in the US, would be considered normal in Mexico.  No seat belts and packing in as many people in one car.  The roundabouts, well that took driving to the next level.

I made two more stops to chat with neighbors that were out and about. So there's this thing I'll call subtle warnings, seasonal changes, not only about fall but hints of what might be in the future.  Summer seems to hang on not wanting to release its foliage as if resisting change.

 The last vestiges of spring and summer are visible here and there.  How like us not wanting to divest ourselves of wrongful thinking. The disciplines of the mind and emotions is an ongoing thing. That thinking should be to fit "every loose thought and emotion and impulse into the structure of life shaped by Christ." ~Eugene Peterson

 

Leaving an endless path of litter.

Not all was golden.  The bougainvillea are still in bloom everywhere.