[I have thought of the title quote over the years but didn’t know from where it originated. The original reads like this: “Water, water, every where, Nor any drop to drink.” It is from Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s The Rime of the Ancient Mariner (a “lyrical ballad”). Source for quote During my search, I found this quote is commonly used as a title for articles about water and its vital role.]
It is funny how you don’t miss something that is ever present, but sometimes irritating. In this case, I am speaking of the rain which we seemed to experience every night up here in the heights. We have not had that irritating, but vital, nightly drip-drip in months!
I first really noticed the effects of our lack of rain in the yards of the area. Everything is so dry! The weedy vines which usually dominate our plant beds are absent leaving holes of dirt and roots. As my husband says, our lawn crackles as you walk across it. Normally we don’t ever water our yard but this year we had to search for our sprinkler!
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| Ti Leaf plants / Aiea Heights neighborhood / April 2016 |
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| Tomato plant / our Aiea Heights yard / April 2016 |
The bushes and trees seem to rattle more in the breezes. Gardening plants wilt in one day. Stands of wildly growing ginger are almost completely dried out.
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| Shell Ginger plants / Aiea Heights roadside / April 2016 |
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| Stream bed / near the Stadium / April 2016 |
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Red-crested cardinals / Aiea Heights neighborhood / April 2016
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As usual when I notice one thing and begin to develop a theme, I observe other phenomena that make me think, analyze, and wonder!
One phenomenon I noticed on a neighboring lawn. In a huge lawn of stiff brown grass, there was an area that was still a little green. As the day progressed, I noticed that it was because the greener area is shaded for part of the day!
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Dried lawn with green / Aiea Heights neighborhood / April 2016 |
There are a number of scientific processes occurring in the green lawn amidst brown; I don’t know which has the greatest effect. Like all scientific phenomenon, the varied processes all contribute, in varying amounts, to the final effect of greener grass.
Here are some possible cause / effect discussions. The most obvious one is that in the shade of plants and/or trees, any present water does not evaporate as quickly so the grass in the shade is able to utilize any bit of water left in the soil.
[This reminds me of a horticultural precaution. When planting flowering plants beneath a tree or in shade make sure the plant is meant for shade. A non-shade plant may die from too much moisture and not enough sun. The reverse of course is true; a shade plant will quickly die if it is in direct sunlight for most of the day.]
Another possible cause / effect scenario is perhaps the dry grass is actually dried out and burned by the sun. The sun obviously “burns” plant life.
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| Orange in a gutter / Aiea Heights roadside / April 2016 |
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Weedy bush / our Aiea Heights yard / April 2016
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I noticed a half 'burned" orange fallen from a tree and the flowers on the weed bush behind my house are dry and dull.
The other phenomenon about which I wonder is the prevalence of bright, overabundant flowering on many trees and plants. The first example is the glorious display of the Golden Trees. [See my blog entry: March 24, 2016 - “Spring is Sprung”- look to the trees!] I noticed these vibrant yellow crowned trees in areas where I had not noticed them before.
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| Golden Tree (small) / Aiea roadside / April 2016 |
I even noticed two sentinel gorgeous Golden Trees way up the hill from our house; they were surprisingly found in a yard. (Nearly all of the Golden Trees I have ever seen are alongside roads.)
As a personal, and historical, aside, when I saw these trees in this yard I was again reminded of my dear friend and neighbor. The yard in which the two lone Golden Trees were found was of a long-time upper Aiea Heights resident and friend of my neighbor. When my friend / neighbor revived our neighborhood Outdoor Circle she referred to this woman as the “force” behind the original Aiea Outdoor Circle branch. So perhaps that is the true reason my friend used the Golden Tree as our branch’s symbol. [See my blog entry: March 24, 2016 - “Spring is Sprung”- look to the trees!]
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Sadly, when I went to photograph these, after only three or four days, the blossoms were all blown away by the fierce early April winds!
Other examples of abundant flowering are the Chinaberry tree behind my house. This tree has the most flowers I have ever seen. [Also in the blog: March 24, 2016 - “Spring is Sprung”- look to the trees!] Mango trees all over the island are also covered with flowers.
Finally a grand example of abundant flowering were the blooms on this Avocado tree! We have walked past this avocado tree for years and we have never seen so many flowers. Have you ever seen an Avocado flower?
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| Avocado tree / Aiea Heights neighborhood / April 2016 |
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| Flowers of an Avocado tree / Aiea Heights neighborhood / April 2016 |
How does the gorgeous flowering occur in a “drought” condition? Does it occur as the plants respond to the great stress and possible elimination so the plant’s last resources are put forth to ensure new offspring through many, many flowers, and thus seeds?
Or another theory may be the flowering is caused by a stretch of September above average rainfall. I remember filming downpours last year and found out this occurred in September. Information on September heavy rainfall Could only a month of rainfall like that cause the overabundance of flowering?
Look out for signs of “drought” and the bright hope of overabundant flowering around your neighborhood. As always, I hope you are observing and wondering as you “watch out for nature!”
In your final photo of the avocado tree, the one with the flowers, there is a pair of "buds" backlit by a halo of sunlight. Though it seems to have nothing to do with your article, which I found delightful to read, the image is one of hope in the light beyond. Perhaps spiritual, but meant to be thought provoking in "nature" (sorry, couldn't help the pun!)
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