I discovered this tree growing near a river in the Appalachian Mountains. I’m not sure what kind of tree it is. It’s roots drew my attention.
Who might take shelter among these roots during winter?
The tree was surrounded by what looked like flowerless rhododendrons or perhaps mountain magnolia. They must be cousins.
The ethereal treetop was a mystery. I reveled in the lush greenery close to the earth. The trail was calling.
Thursday Tree Love is a photo feature hosted by Parul Thakur on the 2nd and 4th Thursday of each month. For more tree love, visit:
https://www.happinessandfood.com/thursdaytreelove-67/
Anything is Possible! 
July 11, 2019 at 11:37 am
I love the exposed roots. I wonder if that was from flooding?
July 12, 2019 at 8:52 pm
That sounds like a reasonable theory. There are some exposed roots here on the coast, too, in a brackish river. It looks like the trees have legs.
July 12, 2019 at 9:02 pm
It’s amazing how strong that root structure can be.
July 12, 2019 at 10:03 pm
Right! I’ve read and believe there’s a lot more going on underground than we realize, like deep root networks and trees holding on to each other just for starters.
July 13, 2019 at 7:22 am
That thought makes me smile.
July 13, 2019 at 3:33 pm
Me, too. 🙂
July 11, 2019 at 11:50 am
Beautiful JoAnna, the tree looks like a wonderful work of art.
You do walk in beautiful places and enjoy the shade of the trees.
miriam
July 12, 2019 at 8:53 pm
Thank you, Miriam. I am grateful to be in these places and that you see the beauty, too.
July 13, 2019 at 1:23 am
So am I. 😊
July 11, 2019 at 3:55 pm
Oooooo! Marvelous, JoAnna. A fine old tree and a beautiful trail to explore. Hugs.
July 12, 2019 at 9:18 pm
Exploring wooded trails is one of my most favorite things. Thanks for appreciating this tree with me, Teagan.
July 11, 2019 at 5:54 pm
I also wonder if the tree roots were exposed through flooding as another commenter suggested; there is way too much flooding in our country in recent years. And I should know what those leaves are. It just isn’t coming to me.
July 12, 2019 at 9:19 pm
The leaves below look like mountain magnolia or rhododendron, but I’m not sure if those same leaves were at the tree top or just surrounding the tree. Thanks for caring and wondering with me. 🙂
July 11, 2019 at 9:51 pm
Beautiful!
I see the rhododendron similarity as well. I wonder.
July 12, 2019 at 9:27 pm
Thanks for appreciating it with me. 🙂
July 12, 2019 at 6:06 am
Fascinating
July 12, 2019 at 9:28 pm
I thought so, too! Thanks for seeing that, Derrick!
July 12, 2019 at 8:09 am
Beautiful! This made me think of where I used to live (Marshall, NC) and we had 5 acres in a little mountain valley. There were many trees on our property and we found these little porcelain gnome creatures the previous owners had scattered about. We placed them in hollows like the one you showed here and made little trails up the mountain back behind our house. When we’d walk by, the little gnomes made me smile. I would think about the trees, this life…all the infinite possibilities in the universe…ah! Hehe. I hope you’ve had a good week!
July 12, 2019 at 9:32 pm
How enchanting! I have a very small yard at the mountain house, but plenty of trails nearby. I will imagine your little gnomes with a smile when I explore the trails and maybe get some for my little yard. All the infinite possibilities – now that makes me smile! 🙂 The week just got better. I hope yours is full of delight.
July 12, 2019 at 11:14 am
Absolutely amazing! The gaps in the roots look like large enough to host a human being!! What a beautiful area for your walks!!
July 12, 2019 at 9:33 pm
I’m glad you enjoyed the tree with me. Definitely room for a family of foxes or raccoons. 🙂
July 20, 2019 at 9:01 pm
JoAnna I am such an immense lover of trees, of green, of nature. These pictures were breathtaking. Whenever I see roots large and spreading wide it immediately brings a sense of “ancient” to me, I honor the tree and all that its energy is connected to. This beautiful place would likely be filled with a plethora of fairy folk among the animals. ☺
July 20, 2019 at 11:19 pm
I’m so glad you understand and enjoyed this with me. The large roots do bring a sense of “ancient” to me, too, and wisdom. The ferns give the place a primal feel. I will key an eye out for the fairy folk, though I think I am more likely to feel them than to see them. 🙂
July 20, 2019 at 11:27 pm
I concur, it’s a feeling. 😉 Yes, very much so wisdom along with ancient. I so wish they allowed either private messaging or image attachments to comments, I’d love to show you the reserve (small, but lovely) that my apartment sits on, so many ferns sitting at the very base. Somehow I think you’d enjoy it more than most I know. I’m a bit of a lone ranger. Have a wonderful and blissful sleep.
July 21, 2019 at 12:21 am
Drifting off soon….. 🙂 You could send a photo of the reserve to my email on my contact page if you like.
July 24, 2019 at 8:06 am
If I don’t remember, which happens from time to time, please give me a nudge sometime after Monday next week. I’d love to send you some pictures. xoxox ❤
July 24, 2019 at 9:32 pm
I’ll try to remember. 😉 🙂
July 31, 2019 at 5:09 pm
I forgot, but then I saw your comment and I remembered … but it’s been STORMING every single day for about 10 days now so there’s not much I can share other than older pictures, which I suppose I can do, but I’ve been sporting a horrid rash on my stomach for a bit over a week now from over doing essential oils – horrid, bit scary, reaction, which is where I went off to and where I’ll likely be until it’s gone. REMIND ME SOON! LOL 🤣💖
July 31, 2019 at 10:26 pm
Oh, I hope that rash gets better soon. I know when I put a clove immunity mix on my wrists they burn for a minute. We have had no rain here for several days, so I hope your storm calms down and moves here.
August 1, 2019 at 12:39 pm
Aw, you’ll get some soon enough, but you don’t want this, this has been non-stop day and night, with a few hours here and there of calm, it’s a bit too wet, though I did enjoy jumping in a few puddles (truth hehe) … it’s the lightening storms that get a bit scary. I’ll try and send some rain your way, minus the lightening … I’ll play my Djembe Drum for you. 😁
August 2, 2019 at 10:05 pm
Thank you! I would love the djembe. Sort of like thunder without the lightening. Glad you enjoyed the puddles. 🙂
August 5, 2019 at 6:14 pm
Oow, I love that thought of the Djembe being like “thunder without lightening,” tiz true. It’s so funny, I thought I’d get it and just start playing (well … playing “well.”). Apparently there’s a long list of styles and methods to actually get your groove going – tons of tutorials on Youtube (same with the maracas). I’ve yet to find the time to devote to those classrooms so I’m simply playing away haphazardly and enjoying myself. 😊🤣💖
August 6, 2019 at 12:10 am
That is perfectly okay in my book. I used to go to a drum circle years ago where we had a leader show us specific rhythms. It was powerful. I miss that. But playing away for your own enjoyment is great, too! Keep on drumming! 🙂 ❤
August 6, 2019 at 7:04 am
How wonderful, that’s my vision, to play with neighbors or a tribe of sorts in a circle. The drum, maracas and tambourine all feel so tribal, but the drum, within a few minutes, starts to feel like the heartbeat of the planet. I played it for a good 30 minutes during the Louisiana hurricane, focusing on the earth’s beat and energy drying out their streets, it felt so powerful.
August 6, 2019 at 8:38 pm
A very good thing to do during a hurricane. When the electricity goes out, I usually go for my guitar, but a drum would be good, too.
August 6, 2019 at 8:48 pm
Amazon! They’ve got some great authentic African Djembe’s decently priced. My first came in damaged, Amazon immediately refunded it and replaced it, it’s fabulous!
August 7, 2019 at 9:09 pm
JoAnna I’m SO … well not upset, but a bit sad, though not sad, maybe a bit pfft! I don’t know what I did, it was very early when I began, I hadn’t had coffee after a difficult night of sleep, and instead of creating a brand new post, I duplicated my How to “Now” post and then edited it to become my new post. Well, what then took 4 hours to fix, all of the comments from Hot to Now ended up on my new post, everything had become a mess, so I deleted them from the new post and then (can you guess) … ALL of the comments from my How to Now post got deleted along with them. After that I ended up losing both posts AHHH LOL and FINALLY found and reposted them, but I’m sad’ish. Though only 3, they were absolutely beautiful, especially yours, and I responded in such an equally beautiful way – and POOF, gone. I don’t get many comments (I wish people were more verbal on my posts), but those who do, very much including you, always comment with something special and that was oh so special. I’m disgruntled, yes that’s the word LOL.
August 7, 2019 at 11:26 pm
Disgruntled. A good word for a frustrating situation. Technology makes me crazy sometimes. I know I’ve panicked when I’ve accidentally deleted a comment and been so relieved to find it in the drop down under comments or somewhere like that. I’m still pretty low tech in some ways, speaking of which, I initially had trouble finding posts on your beautiful blog until I discovered they are on the column on the left. Anyway, it all works out one way or another. Sending peace and hugs.
August 8, 2019 at 12:02 am
Definitely disgruntled, even if it took me a few tries at finding the right word LOL. You wrote the most beautiful comment! It was wonderful – and I didn’t just delete it, I PERMANENTLY deleted it, because I somehow had it showing on the Natalie on my blog post (when I goof up, I do it well LOL). I can’t recover it and they were such wonderful words from you. PFFT! If you have any memory of what you said, please feel free to repeat them LOL. It was something about the now and peaceful and oh gosh I don’t remember, only that I was so touched and humbled.
I am a bit more techie so for me to have made the 4 hour to fix boo boo today, it must have been a seriously big boo boo lol. I am; however, very happy that you found my list of posts. There’s about 100 more, but I’ve made them all private, so many from the past. Some I’ll repost eventually, some were no longer a part of who I am today. What you see are the only ones that are public right now. Wait till you see my response to your comment on the Natalie on my Blog post!!!! My jaw dropped (in a good way). I’m going to sleep very well tonight. 😁
I have a biggggg day tomorrow, nothing fun, but very necessary – lots of work, I’m cleaning house, decluttering and oh so much more. I may or may not be gone from online until Sunday or so – possibly pop-on, but possibly not … lots of “cleaning house,” out with the old, in with the new, less clutter, everything’s being gone through and cleaned out … and all sorts of things of that nature happening, hopefully I should have some real down time by Sunday … if I can move by then lol.
And on that note, sweet dreams JoAnna. 💖
August 8, 2019 at 3:47 pm
I used to dread de-cluttering because i was so overwhelmed by it and had trouble throwing things away. (still do but not as much.) Going through my parents’ things when we stayed at that house for 6 months helped me get better at it. I started to celebrate each pile or corner processed and each trip to drop off donations. I might not ever be done with de-cluttering, but I got to where I like doing it more. Take it easy and one spot at a time with mindful breathers in between. I think my comment was about the relief that comes with the peace of the present moment when I take the time go there, be there, be here. Take care! ❤
August 9, 2019 at 6:11 pm
No wall of text reply to that this time, just a big bright ball of love sent your way for each of your words. ❤
August 9, 2019 at 10:36 pm
❤
July 23, 2019 at 10:10 am
That is beautiful and like you said would be home to flora and fauna around. Trees are givers. So in many ways, I see them giving to birds, animals and plants. Your picture just validates that belief.
Thanks so much for joining! You do see such lovely places.
July 23, 2019 at 9:57 pm
Thank you for clarifying in words what my heart has known about trees being givers. Thursday Tree Love has been motivating me to get outside and pay even closer attention to beloved trees.
July 23, 2019 at 10:41 pm
Thanks for saying that. Means a lot! I love having you around. ♥️
July 24, 2019 at 2:57 pm
🙂 You too!
July 25, 2019 at 6:17 am
What a lovely trail this must be
July 25, 2019 at 7:32 pm
Oh, it is. I’m still exploring and falling in love with it!
July 26, 2019 at 3:54 am
I can take shelter in those roots. They look peaceful.
July 26, 2019 at 11:12 pm
I’m glad you feel that way. They do seem welcoming.
July 30, 2019 at 1:23 am
Beautiful photos! Some of them put me in mind of the medieval tales of fairies.
July 30, 2019 at 8:07 pm
Thanks. I know what you mean. Earthy places open up enchanting and timeless possibilities! You have inspired my imagination!