I noticed the other day, we have tree images in every room in our house. We never planned it that way.
This canvas print of the Sycamore Gap tree, that was felled by vandals last year in Scotland, hangs in our foyer.
I do love trees. And I do love nature.
A water color by local artist Kathy Miller…of trails on St. Olaf campus. This painting hangs in our dining room.
I love birds and critters, sky and clouds, flowers and trees, sunrises and sunsets.
My own artwork, while creating art with my granddaughter. I hung it on the refrigerator! š
I try to be out in nature whenever possible, and I try to bring some of it indoors.Ā
These three metal trees hang in our sunroom.
I took photos of my tree images to share. They are as varied as live trees themselves.
Another metal sculpture that hangs in our living room area.
Also in our living room – an old piece of folk art – a jewel tree made by my late Auntie Doll.
And I am reminded of the ātree poemā by Ilan Shamir that “gives advice from a tree.” The poem is often abbreviated, and seen on bookmarks or plaques.
And this photo of the Lake Superior shoreline hangs in our bathroom.
This metal piece is in our bathroom.
Advice from a Tree
Stand tall and proud. Go out on a limb. Remember your roots. Drink plenty of water. Be content with your natural beauty. Enjoy the view.
The entire, beautiful Advice from a Tree poem gives even more advice. You can read it here.
This back-lit tree plaque hangs above the fireplace during winter months.
A print of an illustration from a children’s book, hanging in our bedroom.
Truthfully, there are even more tree images (and flowers and birds and…) around our house. We were surprised when we realize how many we had hanging around, or should I say, standing tall.
One of the attractions in Charleston, South Carolina is an old, oak tree named the Angel Oak Tree. I’m not sure how it got its name…maybe because of its huge canopy of overarching branches offering protection. It is a Southern live oak, which is different than your āordinary oakā tree.
Photo of a promotional video from the breakfast room.
“The Southern live oak (Quercus virginiana), also known simply as the live oak, gets its name from the fact that, unlike other oaks, it doesn’t lose its leaves in the autumn. Live oaks are native to the Southeastern coast of the United States.”*
The massive trunk of the Angel Oak tree.
We like trees and decided to drive the extra miles out of town, to visit this majestic tree. It did not disappoint. Surprisingly, it is down a rutty, dirt road.
Warning signs were posted many places along the chainlink fence surrounding the tree.
We knew we had arrived when we saw a high, chainlink fence outlining the circumference of the tree, with signs saying this property is protected and patrolled. We noticed the surveillance cameras too. The area is free and open to the public during the day, but closed and gated at night.Ā
Gary standing near the Angel Oak tree.
This is all good. We contrasted this to the Sycamore Gap tree next to Hadrianās Wall where we hiked last fall, in England. That sycamore tree stood tall and majestic also, and was 200-300 years old, standing alone in the gap, for anyone to enjoy. A national treasure, for Great Britian. Unfortunately, two weeks after we sat under that beautiful Sycamore tree, vandals came and cut it down! Hopefully that will not happen to the Angel Oak Tree in South Carolina.
Large branches touching the ground.
Looking out from the trunk at this branch on the ground.
The Angel Oak tree is a national treasure. It is 300-400 years old…some estimate even older. They say the tree is 65 feet high with a trunk circumference of 25.5 feet, shading an area of 17,000 square feet. Of course, I couldnāt capture the whole tree in one photo…but I did take several photos.
The beautiful red cardinal singing for us.
The Angel Oak tree was worth the extra effort to find. A cardinal serenaded us from a different tree, but he added extra joy to our experience. A new baby tree has been sprouted from an acorn from the Angel Oak tree. It is three years old and grows in a pot next to the trunk, under the protecting branches of its mama.
This Baby Angel was planted in 2018 from an acorn fallen from the Angel Oak Tree.
Me and the big tree and the baby tree.
A magnificent stately tree.
Think of all this tree has lived through. Ah, the stories it could tell.
We were enjoying a hike in our neighboring town of Faribault, on one of the last warm days of fall. The section of trail we were walking along had trees on one side and the Straight River on the other. I was looking toward the river when I noticed what looked like beaver shavings on the base of a very large tree.
Evidence of beavers gnawing on this huge tree.
We stepped off the trail to check it out, and sure enough there was evidence of a beaver, or beavers, gnawing its way around this massive tree. But we wondered, can a beaver really gnaw its way through this huge tree?
This is a photo of Gary hugging the tree. He cannot reach his arms around this large tree the beavers are working on.
Gary couldnāt even put his arms around the tree it was so wide. Was this the work of one busy beaver, or several beavers?
I do believe if one were so inspired, you could dress for the weather, park yourself at the near-by picnic table, sit quietly, and wait for the beaver to come back to work on this massive endeavor, because it will take some time for any beaver, or a colony of beavers, to fell this tree.Ā
This size tree seems to be where we usually see beaver markings…
Lots of beaver activity along the Straight River.
Farther along the trail we saw more sightings of beaver activity…only the trees were more reasonably sized. Even so, some nice trees were being leveled. We couldnāt see the dam the beavers must be working on.
This tree is felled but has not been taken away yet…
The animal kingdom is amazing…beavers born with big teeth and flat tails to construct their homes…skunks spraying nasty, unpleasant scent to protect themselves…hummingbirds, the smallest bird, having energy to migrate twice a year spanning up to thousands of miles to stay warm…
An artistic design left behind by beavers…a shapely stump.
“All creatures great and small, the Lord God made them all.”*
All unique. All wonderful. All Amazing.
*From Cecil Frances Alexanderās poem: All Things Bright and Beautiful (1818)
When I learned about the death of a former neighbor, I knew I would go to the funeral even though I didnāt know her well. Gary had a commitment, so I went by myself.
The funeral was out of town, so I was driving through country roads that morning. This lone tree was stunning.
That morning, as I drove to the funeral, I thought of all the things I had to do since we were having company for dinner, but whenever I vacillate, I remember I never regret if I ājust show up.āā And again, that was the case. I was glad I went. Not only did her husband remember me and ask about our family, but I felt peaceful sitting in the beautiful church, filled with bountiful and amazing sprays and bouquets of flowers, waiting to honor Margaretās life and learn more about who she was.Ā
Margaret (84) and her husband (in his 90ās) moved into our neighborhood over twenty years ago, and then moved out several years later to other places. We would stop and chat whenever we would see them out and about after they moved away. Margaret would always remind us of the time when Gary and I and our two teenage boys brought homemade, chocolate chip cookies to welcome them to their new home in the neighborhood. She would repeat that story each time we met. She enjoyed it so.
At the funeral, I learned that she, too, would give her specialty cookies, snickerdoodles, to many different folks over the years. Although I brought chocolate cookies that day, the cookies I enjoy most is my motherās ginger cookies.
I use my mother’s recipe for these ginger cookies, sometimes called ginger snaps.
I wonder if people bring home made goodies to welcome newcomers? I admit I havenāt for a while now. Here are couple of new ideas Iāve heard of…
A couple moved into a neighborhood and made cookies to bring to their neighbors and introduce themselves, instead of waiting for the neighbors to come to them.
When our son and daughter-in-love moved into their new house, they hosted an open house and invited the neighbors over so they could meet them. It was a hit.
A writing assignment was to complete this thought: I have a feeling about my tree…
I like trees. I think most everyone does, but maybe most people donāt think about them much. Even though I really like trees, I canāt identify many of them. Of course, the oaks and maples are easy, but then I struggle.
We planted 17 trees in our yard in Northfield. Many of them almost 28 years ago. Some are getting really big, or scraggly, or both. They do provide a lot of shade. I used to have sun gardens, but now I often need to consider shade plants.
The honey locust tree in our front yard, October 2022.
One tree that we planted 28 years ago, in the front yard, was a honey locust tree. It was maybe 1-2 inches around in diameter…It grew tall, and beautiful, and full, and it became my favorite tree. I can see it outside the window above my kitchen sink.
But I have a feeling about my tree…itās dying. Last year we had a tree service company come and trim it back. This spring it leafed out and seemed to be doing well during the summer. Now, this fall we noticed more large, dead branches and I have a feeling it wonāt live much longer. I wonāt give up on it yet. But I will miss it when itās gone. It is a light and airy tree, with branches that sway in the wind and offers dappled sun light through its small leaves.
The majestic oak tree at Valley Grove Cemetery. I took this photo on September 14, 2018. A tornado felled this tree on September 20…6 days later. Little did I know.
Another tree I loved was the old, oak tree that grew in the Valley Grove cemetery. If it was planted when the first church was built in 1862… it could have been well over 150 years old…some estimate it to be 200+ years old.
Photo of a photo in a pamphlet about the Valley Grove Preservation Society.
It stood tall and mighty, with long, branches spread wide and offering protection over the gravesites. It was special. It was majestic. It fell when the 2018 tornado came through. It was a huge loss.
I went out to see the downed tree on September 25, 2018. Many people mourned this sad event.
While attending the Valley Grove Country Social this fall, I learned someone made crosses from oak branches that are trimmed off other oak trees on the cemetery property. These oak trees are believed to be descendants from the majestic, old, oak tree. The woodworker was an acquaintance of mine, so I decided to contact him.
The 10″ cross made from the old, oak tree.
When I asked him if it was possible to get a cross made from the old oak tree, he told me he and several others checked out the wood from the fallen tree and found the wood to be twisted and not so good, and that there was very little salvaged from it. I said OK, please make me a cross from the other oak wood.
Valley Grove Churches, without the majestic oak tree. Photo taken August 2022.
When he called to let me know the cross was ready to be picked up, he told me he was able to make a cross from the old, oak tree…that he had found enough good scrap wood to make a cross. I was blessed!Ā
A go-to place for us to walk outside in the winter is the Carleton College campus. Their sidewalks are always scraped clean – down to the cement – with no traces of ice. It feels very safe to walk there without worries of falling down. We are grateful for the team that keeps the walks so clear of snow and ice. And grateful for Carelton College to open their campus to the community.
The beautiful Skinner Chapel on Carleton College campus.
We were on campus on Saturday for a winter walk. It was cold, but not windy, which we all know makes a difference, plus the sun was shining and that always brightens the spirits! I took a few photos on this picturesque campus.
Two beautiful white birch trees stood out against the red brick science building.
My favorite gnarly tree on Carleton’s campus…a favorite in winter and summer.
Another gnarly tree on campus,
The amazing Goodwill Observatory.
Even the dorms on campus are lovely with the red brick and red roofs.
The following day however, was not so cold. It was 46* and it felt balmy! We decided to go to a park we know that maintains a clear trail in the winter… Whitetail Woods, in Rosemount, MN.
Rosemount, Minnesota
When we drove into the parking area it was full! It seems everyone wanted to take advantage of this unusually warm day in February. This park has a nice 2-mile paved trail, along with multiple trails throughout the woods for more hiking and cross-country skiing.
The loop trail is not all paved…there are wooden slats,…
and there is metal grating over a swampy area.
There were a lot of people and dogs, walking on this trail, free of ice (except two small spots), getting a dose of fresh air before the snow and cold make its way back to Minnesota in the coming week.
Looking through the trees, to the lake in Whitetail Woods.
And another winter-type walkā¦ Once in a while, Iāll go to Menardās (a big box home improvement store) to walk indoors, on especially cold and/or icy days. Last week I had a little shopping to do there, and I thought Iād add a couple circles around the perimeter of the store to get in an indoor walk, on a very cold day. After shopping and some walking, I checked the pedometer on my phone and was surprised it hadnāt calculated many steps. I thought maybe it needed to recalculate so I continued around the store a few more times and checked in again and the number of steps still hadnāt changed. I decided something was not working, so I put my phone back in my purse which was in the cart. I left Menardās after an hour and went home. Later it dawned on me that the step counter on my phone didnāt count my steps because it was merrily rolling along in the cart!!!
It hangs like icicles dripping from the treesā¦not a certain type of tree, but any tree. And itās everywhere in Savannah, Georgia, where we took a mini road trip from our base in North Carolina.
The grey-green moss dripping from southern live oaks.
I admit it took me awhile to come to appreciate the appeal of these plants but I now think Spanish moss is a beautiful sight. It is not Spanish, nor is it moss. Its name is derived from French settlers naming it Spanish beard and later it became Spanish moss.
Spanish moss is a member of the bromeliad family, an epiphyte, or air plant. It uses trees only for support, but gets its nourishment from air, sun, and rain. It does not hurt the trees it grows on.
A majestic southern live oak tree.
And even more beautiful is when you see the Spanish moss hanging in the southern live oak trees. The Southern live oaks are majestic trees. Although usually identified as evergreens, because live oaks retain their leaves nearly year-round, they are not true evergreens. Live oaks drop their leaves immediately before new leaves emerge in the spring. The leaves do not resemble the oak leaves we find in Minnesota.
Spanish Moss on a southern live oak.
Southern live oaks grow to about 50 feet in height, with large looming branches hanging low and spreading far and wide, its limbs may spread out 100 feet or more.
A beautiful, sprawling southern live oak tree.
They can grow to be several hundred years old. They are the official state tree of Georgia. Southern live oaks are magnificent trees, and found all over Savannah, and the deep south weāve read. They are picturesque.
Orleans Square in Savannah.
At one historic place we visited, Wormsloe, there was an avenue of southern live oaks lining each side of the road for one mile, forming a canopy overhead. I was in awe as we drove through this exquisite scene.
A mile long avenue of southern live oak creating a canopy overhead.
This is one of the prominent features I will remember about our enchanting trip to Savannah, Georgia: Spanish moss and Southern live oaks.
Fungi. I looked up the definition and still not sure exactly what it is – but I learned there are 144,000 known species.
We saw a few of the species when hiking in the Cannon River Wilderness Area (north end) last week. We saw most of the fungi at the beginning of our hike, in the area where a swath from the 2017 tornado took down many trees. It seems to have created the right conditions for growth of fungi.Ā
We had not hiked this trail since before the tornado came through. There is still evidence of the tornado including many downed trees at the beginning of the trail, and a new parking area.
Looking up the stairs.
The steep steps leading down into the park remained intact, but a new rope railing has been put in place, which is a good thing to help get up and down the precarious stairs.
Twisted tree from the tornado?
This section of the Cannon River Wilderness Park seems to have been taken care of at one time, but now seems neglected…probably due to lack of funds. There were a few minor repairs to one of the bridges.
There are boardwalks over many swampy areas, but they are rotting away or warped, and sometimes dangerous to walk on. There is one newer bridge over the creek, built by a boy scout troop and installed in 2006 (according to the plaque).
There was a good stretch of boardwalk in the park.
The trail was mostly clear all the way to the Cannon Riverā¦then at that point one would have to somehow cross the river to get to the other side, which connects to the Cannon River Wilderness Area on the southwest side of the river. We turned around and retraced our steps.Ā
Ducking under….
There were obstacles on the trailā¦some large branches we had to duck under, and some logs we had to step over, and a few streams to jump over… or carefully step on logs or stones to cross.
Forging the streams…
We enjoyed this interesting hike with all its intricacies, and its intriguing fungi.
The next day we hiked in the Cannon River Wilderness Area on the south side of the Cannon River. We have wandered the paths in the southern section many times. The trails are tramped on more, and therefore, well-defined. There are many more routes to hike in this section, including one trail along the river, which is always pleasant.
We did not see much fungi in the southern section of the park, but this was a fun one.
I know it would have been smart to get in my daily walk during the early morning hours on our recent trip to NC, where we went to visit our son and his family. At this time of year, in July, the temperatures climb high, as does the dew point, so getting things done in the early morning is a good idea.
The front porch.
But the allure of their front porch won out. Our son and his wife and two children moved into a lovely two-story house with a veranda in the back – off the kitchen, and a porch in the front. They are at the end of a cul-de-sac, with a wooded lot next door and a landscaped, water collection pond across the street with more trees in the background. New houses were being built the next block over.
There are two very tall trees, with skinny trunks, across the street from where we sat on the porch. I loved looking at them – sometimes they would sway with the wind and intertwine at the tip top, and sometimes they would stand tall and alone –Ā Ā but they were striking, and greeted me every morning.Ā Ā
Sister trees…
I quickly got in the routine of sitting on the front porch every morning. I would usually be the first one up, make myself a cup of coffee, and head outside to the front porch. There were two comfy chairs waiting for me. I would enjoy my quiet time there as eventually the others would wake up. The best part was when the grandkids woke up, came out, and sat on our laps while we welcomed the new day.Ā
Good Morning Sunshine.
There are a lot of front porches in the āsouthā as tradition dictates. It was fun to look at them as we drove through the area. In this new neighborhood, when we saw folks on their porch, we always said hi, and in turn, when I was sitting out in the early morning and neighbors walked by, there was always a greeting. What a wonderful thing.
Peaceful morning.
The porch made me think of my neighbor across the street from us in Northfield. Sheās has made her front porch into a sitting area, an extension of her house, and sheās out there as much as her time allows (which is a lot). People always stop to visit with her.Ā Ā I think of her as our neighborhood watchdog, and find comfort in her being out on her porch so much.
Across the street, my neighbor has flowers surrounding her front porch…complete with rocking chairs and an umbrella. The corn growing from her flower pot was planted by a squirrel. We’re watching the stalk grow!
Our front porch, at our own house in Northfield, has a swing which I also love, and use often. However, a swing is not conducive to drinking coffee. Our front porch is covered and faces north, therefore shaded all day. Yet, itās set back so itās not as open and visible to passerbyās. We do use our back deck a lot. There are many trees providing shade in the morning hours and late afternoon/evening times.
Our front porch swing.
I ask myself would I do this – drink my morning coffee on the front porch daily – if our front porch had chairs instead of a swing? Would I fit it into my daily routine? Iām not sure. It just seemed right in North Carolina. Maybe because we were on vacation…
All I know is a front porch is inviting, and a great place to spend time!
We had a great time on our walk the other evening. I had downloaded a new app on my iPhone called āPicture Thisā and we were having fun experimenting with it.
The home page of the Picture This app.
Itās an app that identifies flowers and trees and bushes by taking a picture. It quickly identifies the plant and tells the name and characteristics of the plant, and how to care for it. Itās amazing and it’s very helpful, especially for someone like me who likes to know the names of all the plants I see.
I wondered if this was vinca and the app confirmed it was. Picture This calls it common periwinkle.
Hummingbird sage, found in a backyard garden.
We tried it on tree leaves too, and it was able to identify the trees we picked out. I love trees but I never took the time to learn their names, except for the obviousā¦oak, maple, birch etcā¦ so this app will be helpful for me in this area too.Ā
We tested the app knowing this was an oak tree, and indeed it told us it was a Bur oak.
A Tatarian honeysuckle.
This majestic, yet gnarly, old tree in a nearby cemetery was identified as a Norway spruce by the app.
I tried the app last summer, for thirty free pictures, but never pursued it further – until this spring – when there were several times I wished I had the app. So I finally downloaded it and this time I got a 7-day free trial period, and then will be charged $30 for one year. Thatās a good deal for some good education.
Brazilian jasmine from Mandevilla genus.
If only I had had it installed when I went on my wild flower walk a few weeks ago!
