Kiwi Christmas Trees

I know that it's a bit early to start talking about Christmas-y things, but my friends have told me about pōhutukawa, and then yesterday, I drove by a whole bunch of them planted next to the road. So I decided that it was time.

Pōhutukawa are trees, native to NZ, that bloom right around Christmas time, and their bright red flowers are Christmas-y, so they have become Kiwi Christmas trees. People don't put them in their houses, because they still use pine trees for that, and decorate them just like we do in the States. They even use tinsel, which I think is funny, because I always think of tinsel as simulating snow, and it is definitely not snowy weather here at Christmas time.

Anyway, I took some pictures of the pōhutukawa in Whanganui, and I think that they're quite beautiful.

This is a close-up of one of the blooms. They look like fireworks to me! They are a lot like a flower that I saw a month or so ago, that grows on the ground on a plant that looks kind of like lamb's quarter.

The bees seem to adore the pōhutukawa, which makes sense, because it looks like there's a ton of places for nectar, and the tree clearly wants to attract them. The tip of each spike, where it's yellow, is a ball of pollen, so thick that I got turned yellow when I brushed against one.

In other news... 

I was called in to teach this morning, and had a wonderful time working all day. I went back to the kindergarten where I relieved the first time, and I was happy to find that I remembered some of the children's names, and retained them much better the second time. I brought in one of my favourite books to read with the children, and also got to teach them a fun song. It was a good day, and now I'm exhausted. I'm resting up a bit, because I need to get my energy back up in time for Zumba with Kirsten this evening! I've never done it before, but I am so excited to try!