Mimosa

   As hot as the days are, the evenings have been a delightful contrast with soft breezes and long shadows. These evenings are perfect for taking a walk. At promptly 7:30 each evening, Henri and I climb the back hill and walk past Mrs. Cahoon's house. She'll be sitting on her front porch, reading and we'll stop and say, "Hey, Mrs. Cahoon." She'll inquire about my mom and I'll wish her a pleasant evening and we'll continue on our way. (I've learned how to use the word, 'Hey' in the southern style where it's similar to the word, 'Hi'. It's not the same 'Hey" I grew up with as in, "Hey.You!", which is harsh. It's a much softer, gentler, 'Hey'.)
     Just past Mrs. C.'s house stands a Mimosa tree. I never saw one of these until we moved south, so to me they are exotic and beautiful. I understand they can be invasive. That is probably why they're mainly growing by the roadside or in the yards of older homes and I've never seen one for sale in a nursery. The tree is covered in blooms and, if the wind is blowing in the right direction, the sweet scent carries all the way down to our house. I find the tree enchanting. It has fern-like leaves, powder-pink, fan-shaped flowers, and it a heady scent which reminds me of peaches. Each time I walk by, I pluck a flower to carry home with me and sniff at my whim. I will leave them on windowsills and tables until they're too droopy to pick up and sniff any longer.
     Steve was walking with us tonight and as we approached the tree we realized it was humming with life. Not only was it abuzz with bees and butterflies, it was full of hummingbirds! We stood underneath the branches and listened to their high pitched chirps. We heard the thrumming of their wings as they darted past our heads, and we watched them chase and dive at each other all over the tree and into the air. What a sight and sound it was and I couldn't help but laugh! Henri couldn't understand our interest in the tree and wanted to be on his way, but we stood for several minutes taking in the entertainment of this little ecosystem. The breeze, the sunset, the hazy, bug-filled fields all made for a memorable summer walk. I also realized there's no need to worry about the lack of hummingbirds at our house this summer. I know where they are and I don't blame them. This would be my choice of playground too.

Just in case you're inspired to make a Mimosa, here's a video! In my opinion the drink should be pink, in honor of the tree.