Is summer over?

I've been meaning to post this last week  but I couldn't find the right time as I was busy with baking and preparing for my niece's 7th birthday party.   Added to that is the no internet connection on places I've been to.

It has been raining the past week I left Pampanga and I was lucky to have another close-up pictures taken on my current favorite tree, the Flame Tree.  This tree is just near our office so on one of our breaks, my team and I decided to head to Mini-stop and pass by this beautiful tree to have a glimpse of it and a picture taken. On our way back to the office, raindrops started to pour.  If I remember it correctly, it started raining last May 29.  It rained daily until I left Pampanga  on June 5.  I have no idea if it rained still after that.  I guess, El Nino has ended and we're welcoming La Nina now.  I just hope not too much rain nor typhoon.

Isn't the tree very lovely? With its vibrant red-orange color, who would not be awed by its beauty?

I felt I was in another country when I saw the soil topped with fallen petals.  Actually, I always feel there's autumn season in Clark Field, Pampanga when some trees change their colors and leaves start to fall. Hahah!

Click the picture to see Abbey's smile. Heheh!

Abbey, Me & JB

Abbey, Jlyn & JB

Yours truly.  Have a "flame tree" weekend and enjoy the rest of the summer!

Event styling

When I was growing up, florists were always part of big events.  I love them  for they create beautiful arrangements. They dress-up the tables and aisles and give flowers to whoever has a role in an event.  Nowadays, florists in events are not just florists.  They have moved-up to a greater role - an events stylist.  They not just "prettify" the tables but the venue as a whole which includes setting up a stage,  backdrop, adding lighting, floral arrangements (which at times are not just confined with flowers), etc.  It's another form of art that in another world I might consider doing.  Just kidding! ;-)

Here in Pampanga, we have three popular event stylists - Pancho Pantig of Plumeria, Janet Garbes of Floral Garden and Badang Rueda of Victorian Blooms .  Each of them has a unique talent that I love more than the florists I came to know.  Pictures below will speak for themselves but it's interesting to note that budget is of an essence in creating more beautiful designs.

The lighting is great on this picture. It achieved the color theme of my friend, Honeylette's and Erwin's wedding which is Yellow & Pink. The flowers are also splendid.  Photo credit goes to Glenn Sarmiento.  I was the maid of honor so I was not able to capture the beauty of the reception.  By the way, the event stylist my friend chose on her wedding is Pancho Pantig. 

This set-up is from the Flower Garden.  Janet Garbes or Ms. J as she's fondly called created a beautiful damask theme for the debutante.  I especially love the rich floral arrangements and the crystals hanging everywhere. 

Here's a creation of Badang Rueda.  The theme of the wedding is Winter Wonderland.  I can say it was achieved perfectly with all the white and silvery works done.  Lighting was exceptional as well.

Mikel and his Spanish Omelette

Two weeks ago  while at work, I got a call from my sister, Maricar telling me they are in our farm in Pampanga and her husband, Mikel is cooking omelette.  She told me I must go to the farm immediately as there's plenty of omelette to eat so I should be there. 

Being a good sister and sister-in-law, (Haha!) I complied and did a split-shift  on that day.  I went to the farm and reported back to work to complete the whole shift . It's a good thing that I can be very flexible with my schedule.  I work in a BPO industry and schedules are erratic.

Here's what welcomed me when I arrived. 

Maricar seated lazily in a cottage while her hubby is busy.

 Yes, Mikel was so busy cooking his favorite (now also our family's favorite Spanish dish) Spanish Omelette.  He's so proud of this and he has reason to for the omelette is delicious.  He even bought my mother a teflon pan to use in the farm so he can also use it whenever he visits and fancies to cook omelette.  Talking about win-win, huh?

While waiting for the omelette to cook, being a nature and dusk lover and with a camera on hand,  I took pictures of my surroundings.  If I am not mistaken, these are Eucalyptus trees which are believed to drag mosquitoes away. 

I love flowers!  And a plant with blossoms will never pass my sight.

 

Close-up...checking on my digital macro.  Not nicely taken though. :(  I guess I was already hungry so I went back to the table.

On the table, the Spanish Omelette was already waiting to be "savaged" by us. Hahaha! 

Mikel was writing something on top of the omelette using catsup as his ink.  Make a guess on what it is.  I'll disclose that once the word has materialized. LOL

Oh, by the way, the omelette was sooooooo good when paired with a ranch dressing and jalapeno.  That is what I did and led me to eat 1/4 of that whole potato dish. More calories added again. DARN! :p

Fire Trees = Flame Trees

Even if the sun's heat is deeply hurting  our skin these days,  there are still a lot of things to enjoy during summer days.  I know that beach and swimming  are the first few things that come to our to mind since summer will not be complete without having a trip to the best beaches in our county. 

Oh! I am getting off-topic. LOL.  Actually, not really since I've been meaning to post these beautiful trees with flowers covering their branches as they make my summer days refreshing. 

I've been working in Clark  Field, Pampanga for almost 11 years now and these trees never cease to impress me.  Just looking at them while I travel daily, 5 days a week on a very hot afternoon shift,  brightens my day.  They remind me of a folklore on the evolution of the these trees that I read in a Reading textbook in Grade 4.  It was a love story that  at a  young age taught me about loving and losing.  Hahah! 

Look at how high the sun is from this picture.   It was almost 2 PM when I took this picture.  Can you see the leaves and the flowers? 

I remember these trees were named as Fire Trees in the book . Until today, I use that term when I refer to them.   But now, while searching for that folklore I read, I discovered on different sites that they are called FLAME  TREES and not fire trees.   Whenever I share to my friends what their names are, they would just say, "OH or Really?"!  I guess they really never catch their attention. 

Let me tour you to the beautiful roads on my way to work where the flame trees make my trip shorter and enjoyable.

The first set of trees welcoming you on the not-so-busy and clean roads of Clark. 

Getting closer....

And closer...

Yay! I was able to capture one that was a little bit close-up.  Don't they just look like cherry blossoms in a different color?  ;-)

 Oh! Here's another close-up pic that is located at the entrance of Philexcel.

 

 Btw, the flowers are not just red-orange in colors.  The picture below shows a different variety -  a yellow one but of a same specie.  The picture was taken in Minalin, Pampanga.  I have observed yesterday that Clark also has a few of them but the flowers are not as vibrant yet as the one below. 

 

Flame trees are actually Delonix regiao.  They are also known to some as arbol de fuego.  Wikipedia says that "Delonix regia is a species of flowering plant from the Fabaceae family, noted for its fern-like leaves and flamboyant display of flowers. Often grown as an ornamental tree and given the name Royal Poinciana or Flamboyant, it is also known as Gulmohar (Hindi and Urdu), KrishnachuRa (Bengali), Malinche, and Tabachine^[1], and one of several named the Flame tree. The species was previously placed in a genus Poinciana, named for Phillippe de Longvilliers de Poincy who is credited with introducing the plant to the Americas."

So, if you weren't able to have a beach outing, don't despair for there are ways to do it.  Enjoy the beauty of our nature!