Trees?

Last weeks post was about the word bark, specifically tree bark. This week it's all about trees.

Trees symbolize life, growth, eternity, knowledge, achievement and liberty and are used as the basis for mapping our ancestral heritage.

Most of us are familiar with the poem "Trees" by Joyce Kilmer:

I think that I shall never see

A poem lovely as a tree.

A tree whose hungry mouth is prest

Against the earth's sweet flowing breast;

A tree that looks at God all day,

And lifts her leafy arms to pray;

A tree that may in Summer wear

A nest of robins in her hair;

Upon whose bosom snow has lain;

Who intimately lives with rain.

Poems are made by fools like me,

But only God can make a tree.

And Ogden Nash wrote:

I think that I shall never see

A billboard lovely as a tree!

Perhaps, unless the billboards fall,

I'll never see a tree at all.

I find walking along a forest path is a peaceful and meditative experience; I live fairly near the city so being able to escape into one of the the forest parks with no view of the city and with muffled city noise and occasionally only the sound of the wind in the tops of the trees is bliss. A tree lined avenue, like this one in Italy, makes for a peaceful walk.



 An Arbutus Tree, Canada's only broadleaved evergreen tree

An ancient grove of Olive Trees

Trees are given life in Tolkein's "Lord of the Rings" with their herders the "Ents" and play a part in the battle against evil in Middle Earth.

They provide food and shelter for animals and birds, have been used to build shelter and provide fuel for humans, domesticated and planted, used to stabilize topsoil.  Our distant ancestors probably lived in them before descending to explore the savannahs.

Tree in Hawaii with massive above ground roots

Hala Tree

Tree with roots undercut by Skeena River

Breadfruit Tree

Lemon Tree

These solid denizens of nature offer many faces to the world and occasionally take on some humorous forms. None of these images has been altered or enhanced. This one looks as if it is chewing on a cigar.

This tree with its bashful face stands near a path at Jericho beach, a walk I often take, and makes me smile every time I walk past. Below is a close up of the "face".

No idea how the base of this tree got to look like this , in fact not even sure if it is PG13.

A comical face

A pig in profile?

A clown?

Not sure what this one is.

Some elephant like qualities here

If it weren't for trees where would birds perch and nest and where would we hang our feeders and hammocks? On a recent sunny winter's day I saw this person enjoying the park in his own special way.

relaxing at the beach

Anna's Hummingbird perching in a yellow cedar

Every Christmas someone decorates this tree in the park; I don't know who or why but it has become an expected part of winter season walks. 

Thank you for joining me on this walk with and through the trees, happy Whimsy Wednesday, until next week.........