Spring in the Land of Eternal Summer

After finally crossing the dreaded word "taxes" off my to-do list this morning, it's time to get happy!  I beat my usual midnight on the 15th deadline by a full 36 hours or so this year.  Man, am I on it or what?  Other than the tax thing, Spring is awesome!

 I really love all the traditional Spring flowers; tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, lilacs, and the like.  Bulb flowers, especially tulips, have such clean lines.  They are no fuss flowers.  They are hardy and strong.  Their colors are bold.  From the cold, snow covered earth they boldly burst forth and declare their presence.  They stand tall and straight and demand notice.  The intoxicating smell of a lilac bush can draw me from blocks away.  It's distinct, unmistakable, and fleeting.  No other flower smells anything like a lilac.  It stands alone as Queen of the olfactory realm for a few weeks each year. It's been years, but thanks to my memory I can replay the sensory treats of a Midwest Spring.

Spring in the land of eternal Summer isn't quite as outwardly expressive as it is nearly everywhere else. Since nothing dies over the winter there is no sweeping, drama of rebirth.  The temperature goes up a few degrees, the rain of winter continues, and things get a little greener. The scantily clad plumeria trees of winter put on a full dress of blooms and fill the air with the rich heady scent that was softly teasing all winter long. The trees on the green mountainsides are now dotted with bright splashes of purple, red and orange.  Rather than awakening from a deep sleep, Spring in Hawaii is more like going from a waltz to a samba.  The dance never stops, it just changes tempo..

Regardless of the temperature outside, Spring is a season of change for me.  It's a time of renewal in energy and spirit.  It's time to get up and move!  Get outside and do something!  Stand up and make things happen!  Be like the tulip and boldly strike out against all opposition!  Or turn up the intensity and fill life with beauty and sweetness to overflowing like the plumeria, bougainvillea, and hibiscus of the tropics.  This Spring is no different, and I am excited about the future and all the fun that lies ahead.