A really wonderful piece Jesse. It made me think about Joyce Kilmer, a Catholic poet and soldier who fought and died in WWI. He rose to national prominence (prior to the war) with his short poem, "Trees" (https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/poems/12744/trees). There really is such a deep, beautiful, and ancient bond that you capture so well with both the narrative and imagery.
I read this again this morning as my youngest was watching bluey which always pretty tranquil melodies in the background of the show. Added even more to your thought-provoking post. Loved it
Haha maybe give it a try if it’s something you’d enjoy. @Brittany Polat did that with her Monday meditations and it was great. Like Brittany, your writing encourages deep thought and sometimes instrumental music enhances that experience even more.
Very creative. Good work. Love the "Overstory" quote. I think I read, either in "Finding the Mother Tree" or "The Hidden Life of Trees" that mother beech trees will selectively support small seedlings around them. And when an opening [cut] occurs in the canopy, those supported trees outcompete all comers. Even with the beech scale and other issues, they keep on truckin'.
They are a fascinating tree and I have a true love/hate relationship with them. An additional concern I did not mention in the post is the deer-beech balance.
In my area, without active management, the forest become somewhat homogenous and there’s a lot of beech. The deer eat everything small and leave only beech. With no other food, they’ll start to eat the beech leaves, creating a bonsai-looking beech tree; these funky trees indicate too many deer for an area. My goal has been to establish variety with hinge cuts, clear cuts, planting of other native species. The especially like the cover these spaces provide.
Thanks for commenting here, Kimberly. It’s a great meditation to walk in the woods. This time of year the changes are happening so quickly; it’s cheap entertainment 🙂
I lived in OR for a couple of years and the lushness was pretty amazing. I sometimes curse the humidity, cold, swings in temperature, etc., but I think I’d miss the seasons of the northeast.
Beautiful, Jesse. Another one for you: in Norse mythology, man and woman were made from ash and elm trees -- Askr and Embla.
Awesome- thank you, Lou. Will be saving for later use 👍🏻
A really wonderful piece Jesse. It made me think about Joyce Kilmer, a Catholic poet and soldier who fought and died in WWI. He rose to national prominence (prior to the war) with his short poem, "Trees" (https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/poems/12744/trees). There really is such a deep, beautiful, and ancient bond that you capture so well with both the narrative and imagery.
Excellent poem, Dan. Really happy you shared that. Thank you.
I really like this one, Jesse.
In my singing group, Mountainsong, we are working on a song based on a lovely poem by Wendell Berry:
Great Trees
Slowly, slowly, they return
to the small woodland let alone:
Great trees, outspreading and upright,
Apostles of the living light.
Patient as stars, they build in air,
Tier after tier a timbered choir.
Stout beams upholding weightless grace
Of song, a blessing on this place.
They stand in waiting all around,
Uprisings of their native ground,
Downcomings of the distant light;
They are the advent they await.
Receiving sun and giving shade, Hope this is not too long a "comment"
Their life's a benefaction made,
And is a benediction said
Over the living and the dead.
In fall their brightened leaves released,
Fly down the wind, and we are pleased
To walk on radiance, amazed.
O light come down to earth, be praised.!
Thank you, Jean. What an excellent poem to accompany this essay.
I read this again this morning as my youngest was watching bluey which always pretty tranquil melodies in the background of the show. Added even more to your thought-provoking post. Loved it
That’s great. So glad you enjoyed it from that peaceful angle. Next time I’ll try to add sound 😊👊🏼
Haha maybe give it a try if it’s something you’d enjoy. @Brittany Polat did that with her Monday meditations and it was great. Like Brittany, your writing encourages deep thought and sometimes instrumental music enhances that experience even more.
I’ll check her out 👍🏼
https://open.substack.com/pub/stoicismforhumans/p/preserve-your-power-of-judgment?r=1cn3fa&utm_medium=ios
An example of a previous one. The gentle guitar was my jam haha
She hasn’t done them in a little while as she pivoted to some great longer form posts. Phenomenal account regardless
Thanks for sharing, Kyle.
Very creative. Good work. Love the "Overstory" quote. I think I read, either in "Finding the Mother Tree" or "The Hidden Life of Trees" that mother beech trees will selectively support small seedlings around them. And when an opening [cut] occurs in the canopy, those supported trees outcompete all comers. Even with the beech scale and other issues, they keep on truckin'.
They are a fascinating tree and I have a true love/hate relationship with them. An additional concern I did not mention in the post is the deer-beech balance.
In my area, without active management, the forest become somewhat homogenous and there’s a lot of beech. The deer eat everything small and leave only beech. With no other food, they’ll start to eat the beech leaves, creating a bonsai-looking beech tree; these funky trees indicate too many deer for an area. My goal has been to establish variety with hinge cuts, clear cuts, planting of other native species. The especially like the cover these spaces provide.
Thanks, John.
Fascinating, Jesse! That timelapse is amazing to watch!
Thank you, Erik. It took a bit of head banging to figure it out, but now I know how to put a time-lapse together 😂
I am amazed daily at how quickly a woodlot transforms and equally astounded the variety from year to year.
The change is unstoppable.
That’s really cool to see the progression in pics. I love walking my woods and seeing the changes from day to day and week to week.
Thanks for commenting here, Kimberly. It’s a great meditation to walk in the woods. This time of year the changes are happening so quickly; it’s cheap entertainment 🙂
This is incredible.
I was raised in the PNW, and my senses are starving for landscape with texture down here in barren Texas. Thanks for the taste.
I lived in OR for a couple of years and the lushness was pretty amazing. I sometimes curse the humidity, cold, swings in temperature, etc., but I think I’d miss the seasons of the northeast.
Mesmerizing post. Thanks.