We don't really feel the seasons where I am from. There aren't fallen leaves in autumn or snow in wintertime. The cold comes in irregular bursts and in the summer there's lots of rain. But there is one undeniable sign of spring: the blossoming of the ipês (Tabebuia ochracea):
These trees blossom once a year, in September, when all the leaves fall and there's nothing but flowers in the crown. It's beautiful and inspiring, and it only lasts for about a week. So this morning we went out for a ride, tree-hunting for ipês to catch one last glimpse of their yellow before the flowers are all gone.
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| It was independence day today, which is why we had the morning all to ourselves... |
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| This is actually a little square in our neighborhood, a couple of blocks from home... |
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| And we even had an unexpected visitor while we were there, enjoying the view... |
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| It was wonderful to be able to take my mind away from everything for a few hours... The world has been so... overwhelming. And there is no remedy like beauty. |
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| The flowers are already falling, which means they will soon be gone... But there's also something special about this coat of yellow on the ground... |