Among Trees

I am at home among trees.

~J.R.R. Tolkien

Spring is such an enchanting season. The sun is warm. The grass is green. Flowers are blooming. And the trees have both blossoms and leaves. Let's visit some of those trees, shall we?

In a tree by the brook, there's a songbird who sings,

Sometimes all of our thoughts are misgiven.

~ Jimmy Page, Robert Plant

This wonderful view of the Otonabee River is just a few minutes on foot from my place. At the time of this photo, its trees were just beginning to fill out with that lovely early verdant hue which I often refer to as "virgin green." It's a short-lived period of time, but when that early or late-day sunshine hits the leaves, the colourful sight is magical.

A tree is beautiful, but what's more, it has a right to life; like water, the sun and the stars, it is essential. Life on earth is inconceivable without trees.

~ Anton Chekhov

See what I mean? We were getting close to sundown one evening, last week. There were a large number of photographers out by Little Lake and I soon learned that a camera club had selected this location for their outing. They chose a good place and time as lots was happening in and around the waters but that will appear in another post.

In nature, nothing is perfect and everything is perfect. Trees can be contorted, bent in weird ways, and they're still beautiful.

~ Alice Walker

Back in April, I headed back to my old haunts in Mississauga for a few days. While visiting with my past neighbours Caroline and Lloyd, we took a walk around the lake which yielded so many of my photo subjects back in the day. This tree has always been a favourite of mine. Over the years it has changed considerably as it has lost its branches but it still provides shelter for small creatures. Many a bird have dined on insects from its bark.

And see the peaceful trees extend

their myriad leaves in leisured dance-

they bear the weight of sky and cloud

upon the fountain of their veins.

~ Kathleen Raine

Another favourite is the weeping willow which towers over the dock. It lost a lot of its branches in an ice storm a couple of winters back but it persists as a beautiful landmark on Lake Wabukayne. It was a hazy day and the sun was having difficulty breaking through.

If what I say resonates with you, it is merely because we are both branches on the same tree.

~ W. B. Yeats

The newly-emerging leaves framed the hazy sun quite nicely.

On pavements and the bark of trees I have found whole worlds.

~ Mark Tobey

One last tree from that walk. This squirrels had begun shredding the bark when I lived here. They have clearly made good work of it since I've been gone. I imagine that the bark makes for good nesting material.

I like trees because they seem more resigned to the way they have to live than other things do.

~ Willa Cather

Back in Peterborough, a few weeks ago, this flash of red caught my eye from a distance. I can't say that I've ever noticed the Christmas bow up in the tree before, and now that the tree is in full leaf, it's unlikely that I will again.

Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.

~ Albert Einstein

Although the bright bow caught my eye, the soft colours of new life caught my breath.

Trees are as close to immortality as the rest of us ever come.

~ Karen Joy Fowler

A couple of weeks back, I saw this guy inching his way along a less-than-sturdy branch which reaches out over the water and directly above some large, jagged rocks. I could hear the branch creaking with his every movement and my heart mimicked his progression by edging its way toward my throat.

All our wisdom is stored in the trees.

~ Santosh Kalwar

Thankfully, he decided to abandon his mission.

To be without trees would, in the most literal way, to be without our roots.

~ Richard Mabey

But then his buddy took up the cause. He didn't get quite as far as the other guy before he realized it was too risky. What was their quest?

The story of the tree is written on every leaf.

~ Marty Rubin

All I could see was this but they said that there was also a forty dollar fishing lure toward the end of the branch which would have never held their weight. I'm glad they determined that their safety was worth more than the lure.

Trees are poems that the earth writes upon the sky.

~ Kahlil Gibran

So many blossoms in bloom. The colours are both soft and vibrant. What season could possibly beat spring for beauty? Well, maybe summer. Perhaps autumn. Nah.. let's just enjoy the spring.

"Listen to the trees talking in their sleep," she whispered, as he lifted her to the ground. "What nice dreams they must have!"

~ L.M. Montgomery

The brief blushing blossoms of the striking magnolia tree.

A tree against the sky possesses the same interest, the same character, the same expression as the figure of a human.

~ Georges Rouault

No matter how early or late our spring season begins, the lilacs always manage to be in full bloom on May 21st. I have noted this every year since 1988 on the approaching occasion of my late in-laws, June and Ken's golden anniversary. June fondly recalled how there were freshly cut lilacs on the tables at her wedding on that date, fifty years earlier. They thought we were just going out to dinner to celebrate that night but we threw a surprise party in their honour at our home. I made sure there were plenty of lilacs from our tree on the table. To this day, I think of them when those lilacs are in bloom.

When the time has come, every leaf turns to face the sun!

~ Akilnathan Logeswaran

These are the russet leaves of the red maple trees as they make their first appearance in spring. The foliage will show off its true scarlet brilliance in autumn. These backlit beauties were wind-dancing for me in the early evening.

More photos coming up before too long.

Orange You Glad?

Are you sick of my sunrise photos yet? Nah, I didn't think so. Even if you are, I have more to share so you'll all just have to soak it up. Get your dose of Vitamin D and enjoy.



Welome to the sunny corner of the kitchen - at least it is when the sun breaks free from the night and shines into our east facing windows.





Have a glass of orange juice to kickstart your morning. Along with the sun's Vitamin D, you get your dose of Vitamin C. Orange you glad you stopped by?





Ahh still life. A bowl of fruit warmed by the early morning golden sunbeams of dawn.





Even Skitty glows in this early morning light.






Let's have a look outside where that sunrise is happening. It's hiding just behind that tree branch.






And bathes the still-icy lake with amber intensity.

More photos in a few days.

A Golden Season

This is the season of light. Hanukkah candles, treetop stars, flickering bulbs or the glint off of the unadorned Festivus (for the rest of us) pole... And of course, the hours of sunlight are now growing longer, once again.

I don't have photographs of electric lights or candle flames but I do have some of Nature's best golden light.

All of these photos were taken late in the afternoon, during that golden hour when sunlight spills onto every surface, and ignites magic. Perhaps you'd like to join me while I revisit Nature's golden light.

Walking past a house in the park, we notice the sunlight striking its back wall, creating this golden, striped backdrop for these silhouetted sparrows.

Spindle berries still shine a brilliant orange but their petals have faded to a pale pink. Their leaves, once supple and green, have become a mottled gold, but glow in the last rays of sunshine.

We've not had any significant snow yet, this season, and many of the days have been quite mild. Fooled into believing it's still autumn, the fallen oak leaves have retained their golden hue.

These floral dead heads seem to radiate their own golden light.

Across the pond, a jumble of tree roots catch the light. The water's surface reflects their fiery glow.

Look downward at the dock beneath our feet. A solitary leaf, caught inside the crack between the boards is basking in the gleaming sunlight.

On our way home, this majestic, golden tree stretches its limbs and bids the final rays of sunshine "goodnight."

However you celebrate the season, may you always find your golden light.

Illumination

At this time of the year, every drop of sunlight is delicious but it's particularly enticing during the late afternoon - those golden hours which bathe everything in deep, rich colour.

I took advantage of that precious sunlight with all of the photos below. I hope you enjoy them.

The tip of this autumn leaf was peeking out of the shade and into the sunlight.

There are a number of apple trees around my local park - many of them edible - some of those without worms.

This lovely blossom is called Indian Balsam or Touch Me Nots. At the slightest touch, the pods burst open to reveal their seeds.

Cedars are beautiful in all seasons, even when their fronds have lost their fresh, green colour, and especially when saturated with sunlight.

Luscious, red Hawthorn berries - brilliant in the autumn light.

Autumn Joy (Sedum) enjoys basking in the sunlight which pours into my front yard.

A tiny, deep blue chicory blossom glows in the afternoon sunshine.

Golden Sunlight

I'm still in scheduled mini-post mode and at this moment hopefully up at the cottage with Frank and Benny. I'll be by to visit and respond to comments sometime after we return. Until then, I hope you enjoy these photos which were taken while there a few weeks back.


An evening walk along the country roads revealed trees painted with golden sunlight. It wouldn't be too much longer until only the moon and stars would provide their light. Time to turn back.




Sigh!




Back at the dock, we catch the last rays of this day's sun before it bids us goodnight.