The Monkey Pod tree

This flowers are my favorite they bring back my childhood memories usually they blossom in summer in the month of march and thats when i use to get my summer holidays *Bliss* wow i just loved summer, no school, no need of waking up early (one of the most painful thing for me even now) and whole day playing in sunshine and running in streets visiting all friends house etc.Evening times we use to play in park near by to my house its known as Disney park well it didn't have any good attraction than this trees fully blossomed in pink and flowers were so soft and smooth like cotton candy and even smelled sweet .we friends use to tight a rope to tree branches and swig on it .I use to pluck flowers everyday and the best time was early in the morning they would beautify our locality and the park and I use to Enjoy the view.I was very much obsessed with this flowers then.
We also use to make cricket balls out of  its fruit ,The fruit is a long pod with soft flesh inside, which is sweet to taste and very sticky, we use to smash it nicely and grind it with big stones and make into balls and than keep it out in sun when they were dried they used to turn out hard like the professional cricket balls.We used to play with them for some time until something else caught our fancy

One day as usual was out playing badminton in shade of this trees with my friends we were a group of 8 to 9. I hit the shuttlecock hard and had got struck to its branches .We actually had to throw or slippers and badminton racket.to make it fall but when all we use to throw something it use to get struck and then again throw stuff to make it fall but that day I guess we were very unlucky we hit the Honey Bee Swarm the bees started to attach on every one around we ran like mad dogs to our house and locked safe .

Thank god that day no one got hurt but well you can guess what would have happened next we were grounded whole summer and after that day we stopped going to that park because of the fear of the people who stayed near to the park and of course the bees ,one of my friend use to tell that bees will never forget, if we go there again they will attack us so that was it c'mon we were just kids :p .

After some days some people destroyed the Honey Bee Swarm for honey but by then a new park was constructed so we all stopped going there and later we got older and all got busy in their own life.Even today if I go in that park road I stop and stare at those trees and sometimes I even pluck flowers but Ever since then I am scared of bees but i love Monkey pod tree and its Calliandra flower .

PS: The common name of this tree is Monkey Pod tree. It is native of Mexico, Brazil, South and Southeast Asia,Pacific islands and Hawaii.The pink flowers start blooming during March in South India)
singing off PRATHI :)