Trees by Joyce Kilmer (1913)

 I think that I shall never see

A poem lovely as a tree.

A tree whose lovely mouth is prest

Against the sweet earth’s flowing breast.

A tree that looks at God all day

And lifts her leafy arms to pray;

A tree that may in summer wear

A nest of robins in her hair.

Upon whose bosom snow has lain;

Who intimately lives with rain.

Poems are made by fools like me,

But only God can make a tree.

 

From the book:  If trees could talk:  stories about Wisconsin Trees by R Bruce Allison, State Historical Society of Wisconsin © 2009

Wind

Wind is my least favorite weather element.  I’m not a fan of walking in wind that creates a chill factor below 10°F.  Thankfully I have enough clothes to do it safely.

Layers are the key.  On a day with single digit temperatures I put on three layers.  I wear thermals, sweatpants, and windbreaker sweatpants on the bottom.  Long sleeve t-shirt, sweatshirt and winter jacket go on the middle.  A pair of gloves and a pair of mittens over the gloves cover my hands.  Hat, scarf and a hood covers my head.  Pair of sweat socks and hiking boots belong on my feet.

It’s important of cover every part of your body.  I wear glasses and that makes covering my face a challenge.  Through trial and error, I’ve come up with a way to wrap the scarf around my face so my nose is free but my cheeks are covered. 

Walking with my back to the wind helps to keep me warm but I often do a circle trail so that means I’m going to face the wind at some point.  I try to walk the trail so I face the wind early in the walk.

The first half mile of any exercise program – running, biking, walking, and hiking – are always the coldest.  Until you heart rate goes up its just cold.  I prefer to have the wind hit my face during this time.

When I’m warm from hiking I don’t want the wind to hit my face and create a chill from cooling the sweat.  That’s the other reason I like to put the wind at my back at the end of my hike.

Of course, if you don’t like to go outside in such weather completely disregard this blog.

Pack out what you pack in.

 

Sources:

            World Book’s Library of Natural Disasters – Blizzards, © 2009

 

 

Waiting

As a nature photographer I often have to wait for the shot to be right.  Waiting is hard.  I just wait for the sun to break from the cloud or the wind to pick up so I’m not as patient as those who shot pictures of animals or birds.  They can wait for hours and still they don’t get a useable photo.  I admire those folks.

As I wrote previously my new camera is heavier than my old one.  So I’m gaining an appreciation of the weight other nature photographers lug around.  You don’t get great shots by standing five feet from a wild animal.  It takes a long telephoto lens and a good tripod.  That’s a lot of gear to haul around.

Good nature photographers (I’m getting there) also know a lot about the birds or animals they want to shot.  Knowing their habits, where they get their food and when, where they like to make their homes, all that kind of stuff.

That means a lot of research.  I usually do my research after I take my pictures.  Finding out what kind of trees or wild flowers I’ve taken pictures of.

As hard as waiting is it does have its benefits.  Whether its 5 minutes, 5 hours, 5 days or 5 years.

Full disclosure:  I wrote most of this blog while I was in line to get my driver’s license renewed.  Waiting.

Pack out what you pack in.

Colors

I’m so glad I live in a place where the seasons change.  Each season has its own beauty but autumn is my favorite.  Watching the chlorophyll drain from the leaves can be glorious.

Chlorophyll is the chemical that gives the leaf its green color.  It takes sunlight and water and makes sap for the tree to use as food.  The by-product of this is oxygen which is released through the leaves.  Photosynthesis is the science name of this complete process.

When the nights begin to cool and the days shorten.  The chlorophyll drains from the leaves.  The green color of chlorophyll is replaced by the brilliant reds, oranges, and browns of the autumn season.

Of course the glorious colors depends on the weather. A dry summer will wilt the leaves early some times without changing colors.  Wind storms in early autumn will cause the leaves to drop, before full color can be reached.

But when the conditions are right.  The colors are beyond words.

Pack out what you pack in.

 

Sources:

            Trees of the United States and Canada, World Book, Inc. Chicago, IL Anova Books Company © 2007.

            Trees are Terrific!  National Wildlife Federation, Chelsea House Publishers, © 1999

 

Truly Getting Away

I miss silence.  Don’t get me wrong I enjoy music and television and the internet but sometimes I want to turn all that stuff off and enjoy the silence.

There are lots of great places to hike within an hour drive from my house.  I’ve been to many of them but I can still hear car traffic sometimes or worse yet I can see the cars through the trees or at the top of a hill.  I go hiking to get away from all that.

Give me the wind whistling through the trees.  The sound of my boots on the trail.  Birds chirping toward the morning sun.  I love listening to unseen animals rummage through the underbrush for food.  Then running for safety as I approach.

The silence is calming.  I realize though it can also be unsettling.  So many people are so used to the noise that surrounds us everyday.  To turn all that off is weird.  At first.  Stay with it and you can learn to enjoy the silence as well as the noise.

It is important to have time away from the constant noise and bustle of life.  To spend time with nothing but your own thoughts.  That’s why I like to go hiking.

I believe the word is balance, or maybe its contentment.  I’m working toward both.  How about you?

Pack out what you pack in.

The Pond

The Pond

Deep in the woods,

where still trees
drip green moss
and mushrooms litter
the spongy earth
like fairy tents,
lies a round pond.

A long age ago

some glacier dug
and scooped this place
for a perfect pond
where wary creatures
pause to drink
and light-footed birds
walk on lily-pad
stepping stones.

What if the glacier

had not dug here?

Where would
the animals drink?

Used with permission.  From Wild Country by David L. Harrison © 1999 Wordsong Boyds Mill Press, Inc., A Highlights Company, 815 Church Street, Honesdale, PA 18431, www.davidlharrison.com

 

Dead Trees

Dead trees are just as wonderful as life ones.  Just as many animals live inside a dead tree as a live one. Its human nature to be drawn to the live tree with its branches full of leaves reaching to the sky.  Yes that is beautiful.

The dead tree has more character.  Remember I love using my imagination.  Picture what did live in the tree and what might still be making the tree its home.  Birds, squirrels, mice, bugs, and fungi all make their homes in trees.  The hard woods soften when they die.  That makes it easier for animals and bugs to burrow into.  It’s easier to make a dead tree a home.

I also find the decomposition process fascinating.  No, I’m not a coroner by trade.  We live in a disposable society.  We put stuff in the trash and don’t give another thought to it.  But there is a system in place to return every living thing back to the earth to be used by future generations.  Yes, like fossil fuels.  But also basics like fertilizer for more plants.  It really is a circle of life.

So what’s the point?  I’m not sure.  I guess to ask you to think before you just put stuff in the trash can.  Have you really used the product to its full extent?  Can you use the product in another way?  Can part or all of it be recycled?

I have two points.  Don’t bulldoze a tree just because it’s dead and no longer fits your decor.  As I said dead trees have more character.  Unless it’ll damage a nearby house let the dead tree stay.

Pack out what you pack in.

 

Sources:

            Trees are Terrific! National Wildlife Federation, Chelsea House Publishers, © 1999.