Blooming

orchid trees are everywhere right now. In autumn, somehow the bright pink flowers seem a bit out of place. The blossoms are profuse, and bees are very attracted to them, although I couldn't get one well focused enough in my shots. I had hoped to include a section of the interesting bark of the tree, which is covered in short, spiny projections, but couldn't get both in the frame. Just rubbing up against this tree's natural defenses could be painful, so I was very careful this morning to avoid that very thing.