Silk, But Not A Tie

I've been trying to get a good picture of these blossoms for several years now, but they have proved quite elusive. These gold flowers are from a Silk Oak, an otherwise unremarkable invasive tree in this neck of the woods. I found this tree in the yard of a rental house on Anna Maria Island this past Saturday. I was standing in the driveway when I took this shot. I hate to trespass on other folks property, but I figured the driveway wasn't so bad, and I really wanted to get this shot. These trees get very tall, and when they bloom, it looks like a giant christmas tree with gold ornaments. But it's been hard to find a specimen with flowers near enough to the ground to shoot, and accessible to me and my camera. I'm told that this tree is a problem when it's not blooming, since it drops leaves all year. Well, I'd say it's worth it to have a living Christmas tree in your yard part of the year.