Trees

For some reason I can't get trees off my mind today. I like trees, all types of trees. I like to take a walk and notice the trees, notice how their limbs fall gracefully to the side or stand erect, reaching for the heavens. I take pictures of trees. Some people take pictures of people, I take pictures of nature and trees.

When trees are young, they need support to grow or else they may bend and break during a bad storm. Here, in Florida, when you see the wrappings around the Palm Tree, it is a young one, and the landscapers are helping it by giving it more stability against the wind and rain. Trees grow, and some get hurt from the elements. Lightening may strike, and it may show signs of great damage; yet, it endures to live longer, with bumps and bruises to show the world it has continued no matter what stresses it has been given.

Then, with time and patience, trees grow older, and some have become famous for their age.

Take the Angel Oak Tree (to the left) found on St.John's Island in South Carolina (near Charleston). It may be 1500 years old and people come far and wide to look at its majesty.

Another great tree is the Banyon Tree in Maui, Hawaii. This tree is in the town of Lahaina and when you measure it from limb to limb it covers a city block. There are places to sit under its shade, and people will read a book or take a nap with it's shade to protect them. Beautiful tree.




The greatest trees of all are the redwoods. They are mammoth and can get over 360 feet high. And the trunk is beyond belief.

It breaks my heart when I hear of forest fires, but we do have them in this country, and mostly in the west or northwest. Last year when I went to Yellowstone, Montana was experiencing many forest fires while we were driving to Wyoming to Yellowstone.


Yes, we have many different types of trees besides the Palm Tree here in Florida, but I do miss the ornamental trees that can be grown in the Midwest. Before I moved, I had many different trees planted in my yard. I had a pear tree and dogwoods and lilac trees.

The most favorite of all was my Japanese Maple. I loved the deep burgundy color, and I had it planted under the front picture window where I would keep it trimmed to keep it the size I wanted.



The Japanese Maple was outside of the house, and inside the house was the Bonsai Tree. This was Al's tree. He would water it and trim its leaves and care for this tree everyday. It warmed my heart watching him nuture his Bonsai Tree.




Yes, I do love trees. All kinds. To me, they symbolize life, how we need support when we are young, how as we grow older we may be beaten down, but we endure, and when we become old, we are respected, not for our beauty, but for our age. The beauty is in the age.

Just take a minute from your busy day and stop to enjoy a tree. See where it is in its development and enjoy its beauty, its hardships, and its endurance.

Until tomorrow...have a great day.