And now presenting today's bonsai of the day:

The Lemon Tree

Notice the proud posture as she lifts her spine up towards the sky from her deeply rooted toes. The curve of her shoulders, elbows, and wrists are embracing the moment with curvaceous ecstasy that is so slow you almost forget it is still moving with life. The faux citrine gemstone at her base is there to accent her zesty nature. Even the leaves themselves tease the senses with an intoxicating perfume that most would find irresistible.

ID: 0002
Nickname: Lita
Type: Citron limon
Age: 3 years
Grown: from seed (common supermarket variety produce)
Last repotting: early summer 2017
Wired: early summer 2017

Every once in a while I do like to pluck off some of the larger leaves. Not only are they delightful to smell for their lemony citrus aroma and the smooth waxy/oily surface that feels good on the skin, but it also encourages new leaf growth to shoot out from the newly opened nodes in the stem. At the time I took this photo, I thought it looked so vigorous, with the leaves growing into an over-sized state, that I can't help but think that the tree is thirsting for the sun to nourish with better vitality and health. A normal tree would much grow taller. Some would say it is a shame that I am restricting this fantastic tree in size and potential. I plan to remove the wires later this fall as the wood begins to harden off and the temperatures decrease. Before the season gets frosty outside I'll give the soil a treatment of neem oil, and let it continue to grow as an indoor plant through the summer next to a window. Next spring, I'll return it to the outdoors when the danger of frost is gone. Still deciding if I want to defoliate more of the leaves before the summer ends, or wait until spring when it begins a new growth season. Let me know in the comments below if you have any suggestions or questions about this tree.

One of the reasons I chose bonsai as a hobby for myself is because in the modern home a tree enthusiast can only own so many plants before they run out of space and yard. Certain species of trees and plants that I enjoy would become an absolute nightmare if i were to plant it in the yard. In a small bonsai pot, and I can maintain a smaller expression of the same trees that I have always wanted to enjoy and appreciate, and I can create a much larger collection of them than the full sized trees would ever allow me to do.

The other reason I chose to get involved in bonsai, I will save for another future post.

Now returning to my earlier thoughts about this tree (yes, I'm rambling, and revising my post here, and if you are still reading, then I am impressed)...

As I looked at this photo, and described its personality, I drew from my memories in ballroom dancing of the beautiful Latina ladies who absolutely dominated the dance floor with their presence, sexy curves, and insane flexibility stunts. In all honesty, a woman in hoop earrings, pink lipstick, and eyes that look away and then return to me through the center of her softly spiraling body motion is enough to hypnotize my thoughts into a realm I am often embarrassed to discuss openly.

Shared video from Zen Instinct on Youtube. Subscribe if you enjoyed.

Some of you may know that I work as an instructor at a dance studio. Rumba is one of the dance styles that I trained to compete in, and now I teach it to my students.

The Rumba, as I described to one of my students today, is a dance that involves a dynamic duality. There are moments of strength, power, speed, and stunning brilliance. On the flip side, there are contrasting moments of heightened emotion that almost looks like anguish, longing, loneliness, and pain shown by the pulling stretches and deep undulations of the body begging for release. Even though a single beat in Rumba only lasts approximately 1.733 seconds in a standard Rumba song, the expert dancer is able to pull the movement ever so slowly towards infinity. The dancer makes a moment feel like an excruciatingly long time to endure before the audience is capable of releasing their emotional/physical state of breathless anticipation.

Although my coach and I were both fans of Yulia (0:54) who would eventually become the Blackpool World Champion, the reigning champion Joana (1:31) was unbeatable in the eyes of the judges. While Yulia expressed Mary Poppins-like perfect proportionate movements that makes us fall in love with the basic patterns again, Joana obliterated her competition by stealing the stage with her gravity defying speed, grounded stops, limitless stretching, and crispy timing. Yes the men are amazing too, but honestly I barely notice them next to the visually enchanting and alluring lotus flowers.