The Definition of Green

Lately, the view from this side of the world has looked like this:

Rain, rain, and more rain, and even I (secretly fascinated by the wet-worlds of Seattle and the Planet Kamino) was getting a little weary of the absence of sun and stars behind that sheet of gray water. We had a couple violent winter storms, resulting in actual frozen-water hail on the East Side. Buildings were flooded, bridges were closes, and feet were generally wet. Then today, the sky grew blue again, and though the air is still cold, it has been nice getting reacquainted with sunshine. One good thing about the rain though, is that it makes everything here green - vibrant, verdant, velvet. So, considering that St. Patrick's Day is coming up this week, here is photographic journey on the definition of green.

Rain Showers and Shower Trees

It may be snowing elsewhere in the Northern Hemisphere, but here in Hawaii we are being deluged with chilly rain. On Sunday we had some sort of melted blizzard that threatened to beat down the world to death. The mountainsides were draped in thunder-rumbling clouds. Even now, it is raining again, and the sky feels like a heavy cold blanket. It surprises me how green the earth can be when the air is this gray. 

The seasons here are strange. We are in the midst of our Rainy Season, as contrasted with the rest of the year which I suppose we call the Non-Rainy Season, because it definitely isn't dry. But there are other seasons as well, and they don't line up all in a row like spring, summer, fall, winter. We have Mango Season, Plumeria Season, Whale Season, and the various fluctuations of Tourist Season which lasts all year long. February is apparently the flowering season for this tree:

I'm not the best at recognizing the true names of all the tropical plants around here, but I'm thinking that this is what people call a Yellow Shower Tree, especially since it looks similar to the trees in this blog post. 

We have Pink Shower Trees as well, which always make me think of Bridal Showers. But I assume the name comes from the fact that the flowers shower the ground like rain, like snow. 

The photos almost portray how very Yellow these flowers are. They are as brilliant as sunshine. So bold, they cry out to everyone who passes to just look. Look at their definition of color against the sky, against the ground. I never realized how vibrant actual, natural color could be until I moved here.

We Can Be

We can be cold here, like we want to be. We can climb a rain-battered tree halfway before sliding back to the ground. We can balance on wooden swings and look from the sand to the sea to the sky and not feel lost at all. We can be wet. We can talk about a cozy coffee house three thousand miles away, the one with the fireplace and the window seat, and we feel warm just talking about it. Almost.

We can go anywhere, here. 

Island Life, Part One

 Living in Hawaii has been a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Not many people get to call paradise home. Although I can't always be on vacation here (yes, people do have to work in paradise), I like to get out and explore my island - the people and places that fall through the cracks so many times. The seaside is always my favorite place to escape to, rain or shine. There's just something about being on the edge of the land looking out to the indefinite that puts your mind at rest. The islands also have a lot of local farmers' markets that provide locally grown, organic food and a unique atmosphere for the community to get together.

We're in the last stretches of the Rainy Season here. I took these two photos a few months ago on a rainy Sunday afternoon. I love rainy days at the beach - the tourists are few, the air tastes like heaven, and the sea sits by itself with a happy face at being ignored.

And here's a photo of random wild chickens eating some Lucky Charms.

Walking to the farmers' market...

At this particular open-air market, the vendors have tables scattered throughout a shopping center. Here's someone selling wheat grass...

...and a gecko...

...someone selling macadamia nuts...

These are flowers that grow in the cooler regions of the mountains. I can't remember what they're called, but they are so beautiful and exotic, like they came right out of the Garden of Eden.

...someone selling orchids...

This guy was playing an electric ukulele. The ukulele is probably the most popular instrument around here. If you are interested in listening to some, I recommend trying the musical genius of Jake Shimabukuro. Watch this video and get blown away.

Stat tuned for Island Life Part Two which I hope to post later this week.

Simple Things

It has been said that the simple things are those that really matter. Well, my life has been a bit simple of late. Whether it has mattered is still undetermined. Music has been keeping me going lately. Piano lessons and choir class - seeing the kids get excited about music makes it all worth while. I actually broke out (not literally, of course) the grand old violin yesterday. We had a tender and touching, though a bit scratchy, reunion. Among other things that have been happening to me recently:

I accidentally closed a door on a baby gecko -without going into details, it was not a pretty sight.

A whale jumped out of the ocean today, just because I was there.

I discovered a rather fat rat in my garage - it was practically waddling away from me when I opened the door one night.

Despite a general indifference and lack of talent at scrapbooking, I learned how to decoupage a box. It was fun, plus I now have a new favorite word. Decoupage, decoupage, decoupage...

 Spring is on its way... I think. Those of you on the mainland are probably waiting on the edge of your seats for the snow to stop and the sun to start shining again. Here in Hawaii, the winter is our rainy season. Despite some rainy afternoons and wet spells (and a case of acute thunderstorms last week), the sun has been smiling the last few days. The local plumeria graveyard...

...has sprouted a few blossoms...

I wish the internet had a scratch-and-sniff button so I could show you what Heaven smells like. Somebody please invent that.

As the seasons come and go, the sea always and never changes - it is always beautiful and never the same. The other day I watched as distant rain showers fell on the Pacific while the setting sun cast golden beams into the veiled horizon...

On a closing note, here's the latest from snowoholics anonymous:

10 Things I Like About Hawaii

1) Flowers that smell like heaven...

2) Having the ocean as my backyard...

3) Baby albatross...

4) Stars and moonshine through the palm trees...

5) Rainy season...

6) Ben Stiller...

7) Rainbow trees...

8) Tropical fruit year-round...

9) Sunsets on the water...

10) Roads that always find their way to the sea...