“Between every two pines is a doorway to a new world.”
John Muir
I’ve always loved pine trees. Here near the Carolina Coast, we have loblolly pines and long leaf pines. David and I walked among these evergreens with our dog Marley on my December birthday hike at Carolina Beach State Park. If you stand quietly between the pines, you can feel the doorway to a new world.
Path Between the PinesPines OverheadPines and GrassesDavid and Marley on the Pine Trail
“We never fully move on, We leave a piece of ourselves behind Like leaves and trunks molded into the earth And forest floor, we give what we know And others take it up and use it to grow.
This photo was taken a few months ago by my daughter Ayla who gave me permission to share it. She has become the family historian working to discover the branches of her family tree. The tree in her photo lives on a hill near Hanging Rock State Park in the foothills of North Carolina.
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Thursday Tree Love is hosted by Parul Thakur on the second and fourth Thursdays.
When I saw Linda’s post included a squirrel, I remembered this photo I took just after dawn last weekend. Being up close to dawn is extremely rare for me, but I was pet sitting the neighbor’s 17-year-old yorkie and had to get up early. The squirrel in the neighbor’s backyard seemed to be hurrying away from the utility pole back to the trees.
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One-Liner Wednesday is hosted every week by Linda G. Hill.
It’s technically winter here in the US, but I’m still smiling at this cluster of leaves hanging on for weeks after the others have let go and become part of nature’s carpet. They’re still beautiful in front of the blue sky. Maybe the tree likes having them down there, protected from the wind. We’re getting ready for high winds and freezing temperatures, so I’m glad I captured these leaves to share.
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Below is a bouquet of leaves I collected from my backyard and shared in a previous post
I think I’ve shared this live oak before. She lives across the street from our neighborhood park. A few evenings ago, while walking Marley, I saw her as a sunset silhouette.
Below are a couple older photos of this very special tree in the light of day:
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Thursday Tree Love is hosted by Parul Thakur on the second and fourth Thursday of each month.
“Trees are in love with the earth, the earth is in love with the trees. The birds are in love with the trees, the trees are in love with the birds. The earth is in love with the sky, the sky is in love with the earth. The whole existence exists in a great ocean of love. Let love be your worship, let love be your prayer.” …Osho
I’m thankful to be walking our dog Marley more regularly since I’m feeling better. Our late afternoon jaunt takes us to the little park a few blocks away. Today’s tree love shares some of my favorite trees living in the park.
The first group of trees were featured in a previous post when the middle tree was cut down a few years ago. It was not doing well and leaning low over the playground. Now, the stump has aged and serves as a canvas for carving initials.
The next gallery includes more of my favorites from the park. I don’t see the usual option to add captions, so you if you click each photo, you get the titles I saved them into my laptop with. The first photo includes my husband David and Marley. The last one shows a long root from the bench tree running along the surface of the earth hinting at a vast underground network.
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Thursday Tree Love is hosted by Parul Thakur on the second and fourth Thursday of each month.
There’s this tree at the Farm Animal Sanctuary where I volunteer. I believe it is a water oak. It offers me shady spot to park in the summertime. I wonder if it’s watching me.
Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge for this week is, celebrating reflections or shadows. I went back in time to find the reflections of a live oak branch decorated for Christmas at Brookgreen Gardens annual “Night of a Thousand Candles.” This was the venue where David proposed to me in 2011, so these gardens are very special to us.
Brookgreen Gardens, SC. Night of a Thousand Candles 2015
The next photo is closer to home at Greenfield Lake:
Greenfield Lake
Finally, we have some tall, late afternoon shadows at the beach:
For more fun photos, visit Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge by clicking HERE.
I don’t remember what kind of tree this was or when it died. It lived for many years along the fence in my backyard. Decaying limbs hung on until a hurricane, maybe Florence in 2018, sheared the top off leaving a finger pointing skyward which disintegrated over time. In preparation for working on the fence, I asked David to cut the dead trunk in the shape of a castle or tower. Some of the cuttings reminded me more of castles like the last one in the gallery. The remaining stump still provides a home for bugs, grubs, mushrooms, and who knows what else… maybe fairies!
Years later learning on the fenceLast summerTiny mushrooms 2021
Thursday Tree Love is hosted by Parul Thakur on the second and fourth Thursday of each month. Today, Parul shared a young banyan tree in a pot and asked us to share a plant from our home, neighbourhood or surroundings. One interesting plant that came to mind is the pitcher plant which grows wild in the wetlands of North Carolina and other places around the world. It is a carnivorous plant and catches insects.