Purple power

I always love when the jacaranda trees are in bloom. They look so glorious. They are this big, purple explosion of color. I find myself turning down 5th  St. or Harper Ave.in Orange Estates, just to see the colors. Today, as we walked to Furman Park, I couldn't resist snapping a picture of the color and the shadows.

Of course, as much as I love the incredible purple color, I am thankful I do not have any of these trees close to my house. As you can see, this homeowner is raking the blossoms off her grass, which I have on good authority she does often!

"Trees are the earth's endless effort to speak to the listening heaven."
~ Rabindranath Tagore

Patch of color

Flowers have a way of popping up in places where you did not plan them and would not expect them. But, they can still make you smile.

"A flower's appeal is in its contradictions — so delicate in form yet strong in fragrance, so small in size yet big in beauty, so short in life yet long on effect."  
~ Terri Guillemets

What's good for Cleopatra...

What caught my eye at the farmers market was her coordinated purple outfit. Her clothes were purple. Her hat was purple. Even her iPhone case was purple to match!

But what kept me there was her pitch. This is Pat in the Hat, as she is known. She sells Infinite Aloe "never have dry skin again" skin care products. As far back as Cleopatra, people have been using aloe to sooth dry skin, and Pat will let you try it out—with a hand massage thrown in as a bonus.

Bathed in purple

The Jacaranda trees are in bloom again. I love driving down the streets that are lined with billowing purple clouds of flowers.

I might feel differently if I had one of these trees in my yard. The flowers that cover the streets and lawns are beautiful. But the seed pods that will follow in a few weeks are, I suspect, a nuisance.