(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.
“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.
“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
“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.
Today’s prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is: “happy place.” Write the first thing that comes to mind when you think of “happy place.” Have fun!
When someone says, “Go to your happy place,” it could mean a real place, or a place you imagine in your mind. It’s nice if we have a happy place in our home. Mama Cat is sitting on my lap as I type this, watching Return of the Jedi on TNT. I don’t think Mama Cat is really watching, but my lap seems to be her happy place. In the evening, when Marley is in the back bedroom with David, Mama Cat goes between the couch and her catio. It’s her free time to wander the eastern side of the house.
Sometimes, our happy places can change. The ocean used to be one of my happy places, and I still love it, but not quite as much lately. Maybe it was the jelly fish sting from last year or the tiny organisms sometimes called “sea lice” that get caught in my swimsuit and make me itch for days. Still, the ocean is powerfully refreshing – just breathing the ocean air helps.
Here are some ocean photos. The last one is a painting I did many years ago:
Me and the ocean years agoWalking donutsFully Moon Over the OceanSpheres on the Ocean
Now, my happy place is likely to have a lot of trees. Even if I’m in the house, I want trees around the house, you know, outside. Not necessarily growing IN the house, though that is possible. A tree house would be nice, like the ewoks have, as long as I can build it without hurting the trees….
I went to look at videos of ewok village trees, like in the ending of Jedi, but the ending has fireworks. My happy place does not include fireworks unless they are quiet. Fireflies would definitely make me happy. Fireflies make me want to dance.
Speaking of happy place and sci fi, I read something surprising about William Shatner’s reaction to going into space for real. Stopping the stream to go find it. It came from FB. I hope it’s really true that he said this. FB didn’t sensor it, so maybe it is. If so, I admire his honesty.
Okay, so I started looking this up which took me way out of the stream of consciousness. Let me just mention that I have read elsewhere that he still has hope. I think the quote above came from his new book, Boldly Go: Reflections on a Life of Awe and Wonder. Sounds like a great title.
Quotes taken out of context can be misleading. I guess the main point for this post is that your happy place can change. That’s a good thing. If we have plenty of imagination, our happy place can always be with us. Still, I hope we can create more happy places on the real planet Earth. Because right now, there is no planet B. And even if there was, Earth is our home sweet home.
Fireflies still exist somewhere… Next time I see them, I will dance.
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For more streams of consciousness about happy places,
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.
Spain Approves Consent Legislation – “Only Yes Means Yes”
Spain’s parliament has approved legislation that clarifies consent as “an explicit expression of a person’s will” emphasizing that silence does not equal consent. Here’s more From Democracy Now.
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Senate Committee Makes Progress on Gun Control
The bipartisan US Senate committee has made progress in agreeing on an outline for gun control legislation. USA Today reports: “Ten of the signers were Republicans – the number needed to break a GOP filibuster on the package.” Hopefully we’ll see this legislation move forward.
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Paris Protestors Save 42 Trees around the Eiffel Tower
Protestors in Paris saved 42 well-established trees that were to be cut down around the Eiffel Tower “as part of a €72m scheme.” The Guardian has details on this successful protest.
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Program Shelters Pets whose Owners are in Addiction Treatment
A new program in Utah will provide short-term housing for pets whose owners are going through substance abuse treatment. The program called Ruff Haven has been providing crisis-based shelter for pets since 2020. Read more from CNN.
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Drivers Rush to Stop Car of Unconscious Woman
Watch people rush to stop a car after the driver became unconscious. I bet you’ll love this traffic stopping video which includes follow up details…
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Anything is Possible! 