Thursday Tree Love: Making the Most of the Space

“The art of life lies in a constant readjustment to our surroundings.”

―Kakuzo Okakura

On our way to the park, Marley and I pass a tree whose trunk is wider and flatter than most. It seems the big trunk has adapted to fit in the narrow between the sidewalk and the street while the branches and leaves sprawl above in the sky. Presumably, the roots expand below out of sight. Studying trees has shown me that they are individuals doing their best to adapt over time.

Any squirrels up there?

Nope. No squirrels.

Imagine how these trees connect underground.

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Thursday Tree Love is hosted by Parul Thakur.

You can find more treelove at Parul’s blog, Happiness and Food.

Thursday Tree Love: Between the Pines

“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 Pines

Pines Overhead

Pines and Grasses

David and Marley on the Pine Trail

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Thursday Tree Love is hosted by Parul Thakur.

For more tree love, visit Parul at Happiness and Food.

Thursday Tree Love: Autumn Amber by Ayla

“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.

I stand under the shade of giants.”

― Eric Overby, Legacy

Photo by Ayla Likens

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.

For more tree love visit Paurl at Happiness and Food.

Thursday Tree Love: Still Hanging On

“Autumn is a second spring

when every leaf is a flower.”

– Albert Camus

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

For more Tree Love, visit our host, Parul Thakur

at Happiness and Food.

Thursday Tree Love: Sunset Silhouette

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.

For more tree love, visit Parul at:

#ThursdayTreeLove – 137

Thursday Tree Love: New Life

Sometimes it seems like things are in ruins. But life has a way of surprising us. Trust the timing.

This photo was taken by my amazing daughter, Ayla. It’s a young cypress growing from a stump at a nature preserve here in North Carolina.

Photo by Ayla Likens

Thursday Tree Love is hosted by Parul Thakur. For more Tree Love, visit Paurl’s blog Happiness and Food.

Thursday Tree Love: Parking Lot Cedar

Heating and Air Truck in Cedar’s Shade

A cedar tree grows in my favorite grocery store parking lot. It’s my favorite lot for the trees and their shade more than the groceries. Most new parking lots have zero trees, though I continue to advocate for leaving the mature trees and building around them.

It was funny to see this heating and air conditioning truck parked in an unmarked space to get shade from the cedar tree. Trees definitely help with air conditioning, especially in the summertime.

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Thursday Tree Love is hosted by Parul Thakur on the second and fourth Thursday of each month. For more tree love, visit Parul at: https://www.happinessandfood.com/thursdaytreelove-131/

Thursday Tree Love: Blooming Magnolias

Magnolia Flowers in the Parking Lot

It seems everywhere I look magnolias are blooming – big sprawling trees and tall thin ones like the one in the parking lot at the grocery store. I had not realized this parking lot contained a magnolia tree until today. You may have read this before here and might again: All parking lots should have tree islands like this one that I’m guessing was paved about 30 years ago. Magnolias are evergreens. They drop the old brown leaves as new leaves and flowers come in. The flowers have a soft, lemony scent.

More magnolia photos:

The parking lot magnolia is behind the maples.

Parking lot magnolia

Magnolia on Market Street

Magnolia at the Jewish temple.

More at the temple…

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Photo by my daughter, Ayla

The last photo was taken by my daughter a couple of weeks ago at her apartment complex where the magnolia flowers were “as big as your head.”

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Thursday Tree Love is hosted by Parul Thakur on the second and fourth Thursday of each month. For more tree love, visit Parul at: https://www.happinessandfood.com/thursdaytreelove-130/

Thursday Tree Love: Tolerating Human Intrusion

Tree in the median near the Basilica of Saint Mary

In the older parts of my city, including downtown and my neighborhood, electrical/utility lines still crisscross overhead. The branches of old trees are cut away from the lines in what often appear as grotesque deformities. Still, most of the trees seem to adapt. In newer neighborhoods, the utility lines are buried underground which looks better from a human perspective and reduces storm damage. Who knows what the trees and mycelium network prefer? They would probably prefer we let them grow naturally without intrusion. I am grateful for these trees putting up with us as they continue to provide shade, habitat, and oxygen.

Winter

Same tree in spring

Another tree in May

This one is hanging on.

Do you see a face?

It will fill out by summer

Basilica of Saint Mary and campaign signs

Thursday Tree Love is hosted by Parul Thakur on the second and fourth Thursday of each month. For more tree love, visit Parul at: https://www.happinessandfood.com/thursdaytreelove-129/

Thursday Tree Love: On the Curve

(If you zoom in, you can see the resurrection fern growing on the branches.)

This live oak tree has been living on the inner edge of the curve for a long time. I’m thankful it’s still there being so close to the street. Diving around this curve was a bit of a challenge when I moved into the nearby neighborhood thirty-something years ago. Now it’s a comforting landmark telling me I’m almost home. Most things get better with practice.

Thursday Tree Love is hosted by Parul Thakur on the second and fourth Thursday of each month.

For more tree love, visit Parul by clicking HERE.