It was a delight to see this dogwood blooming down the street a couple of months ago. It lives in front of the home of a young couple with a toddler and two dogs. Marley and I stop and talk to them during our walks. One of their dogs is a 16-year-old hound named Boomer. When Boomer sees us coming, he ambles over to the fence to say hello. Their 67 Buick is in good shape and still runs!
Here are more views: Click on each to see the entire photo.
(Yesterday, we were travelling to visit family, and I didn’t get back to finish this post until today. So, here’s some Friday Tree Love)
Live Oak and Azaleas with Ayla and Marley
You might have seen pictures of this live oak that lives across from the park in my neighborhood, but I don’t think I’ve shared it with the azaleas that just made it through an unusual March frost. A group of volunteers in the neighborhood planted the azaleas about 20 years ago.
Click on the images below to see the whole picture.
“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.
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
“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.
“Messages hum from out of the bark she leans against. Chemical semaphores home in over the air. Currents rise from the soil-gripping roots, relayed over great distances through fungal synapses linked up in a network the size of the planet.” Richard Powers, The Overstory
This could be a doorway to the secret underground network:
Look closely. See the door?
Doorway TreeTrees with mossSpanish Moss
Before yoga class at the senior center, I’m just looking for tree shade to park under. After yoga class, I am more aware of the trees themselves. They call to me with an energy stronger than the noise of highway traffic. Their energy is always there, of course. When we pay close attention, we feel the trees hum and allow ourselves to be entranced.
Spanish Moss Swaying in the Breeze
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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 Happiness and Food.
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.
Anything is Possible! 