Driving up and down the mountain to our house, I forget what 2,000 feet of elevation really means. The way to know the land is to walk. When I look at a topographical map, I can situate myself in the larger environment. Imagine what it was like for the pioneers. They knew to follow rivers, … read more Lay of the land
Tag: trees
Random beauty
Some days the beauty is unstoppable You just have to stop for it It began early, with the mist enfolding the newly naked trees That would have been good enough for the whole day The mist lifted, and I drove to our house, where the new roof is being put on this week… In the past, I’ve been … read more Random beauty
Closer down
I stopped by Azalea today, because the decks have been demolished and I wanted to see how that looked. As I turned the corner onto our street, the first thing I saw was that the driveway was consumed by a big yellow dumpster. It’s an odd feeling to see a dumpster in front of your … read more Closer down
Lop lop loppers
On the drive in Friday, Tom flinched every time a branch scraped against Xena on Booger Hollow’s narrow and rhododendron-infested roads. So today, I got out the loppers to trim them back. It was a three-hour chore. But the destructive beast inside me was growling with delight to be off the leash. Loppers were unfamiliar to … read more Lop lop loppers
Home away from home
The rain stopped just a minute ago. A slight mist rises from the hot asphalt, an accent against the deep green of the tree leaves. My shoulders drop as though I’d let a heavy backpack slip from them. Everything I can see is green. Trees, plants, just green. No cement. No asphalt except the two-lane … read more Home away from home
Treehouse
We are staying in treehouses on this trip. Our AirBnB lodging was on the second floor, and around the windows were huge old trees. I laid in bed watching birds and squirrels eat and frolic. They were at my eye level and we all looked down on the world. Now at our vacation rental near … read more Treehouse
The silence of the ferns
It was nearly sunset as I crashed through the forest. I usually make some noise while hiking in areas with bears, wild hogs and snakes, so that they have a chance to clear out before I confront them. Plus, I’d just left a community jam session, and the little bit of sing-along got my musical heart beating. … read more The silence of the ferns
Between heaven and hell
Their branches curve thick and muscled as the arms of thugs on the waterfront. Their leaves sprout glossy and tough, built to survive temperatures 20 degrees below zero. Their roots defy attacks, continuing to grow even when everything else on the tree has been chopped off. This plant is not just a survivor, but a warrior. The pollen is violent: … read more Between heaven and hell
Vanity view
At the end of a hard day like this one, I love to paddle my kayak on the lake. Drifting, looking at water and trees and green …. so soothing. Sometimes, though, the lakeshore greenline is shattered. I see a group of trees that look like they’ve been hit with a terrible disease. One that is … read more Vanity view
Great expectations
The Jake and Bull Mountain Trail System of the Chattahoochee National Forest weaves all around Booger Hollow, so Tom and I know the trails well. When you hike a trail year after year, in all seasons, you know exactly where you’ll see certain plants. On the Lance Creek Trail, I know there will be stonecrop at a certain … read more Great expectations