in the woods
Today's walk in weak sunshine,
to clear sugar-overload-cobwebs from my mind.
Here, balmy almost spring-like air,
while there's snow elsewhere.
Vivid green moss on tree trunks,
ferns decorating them and forest floor.
Fallen trees from past storms
quickly returning to the soil.
Nurse trees sport muscular roots,
the better to hang on to the earth.
Someone has left a surprise for all,
a tree decorated with shiny red and silver balls.
Remains of a clump of massive trees
stand like Stonehenge in the rainforest.
Silvery water and thin grey clouds,
trees in black silhouette await
the passing of winter solstice,
remembering one year ago on this date.
The two bottom photos were taken by my husband.
ADDENDUM January 3rd, 2010: This entry was submitted to January's Festival of Trees hosted this time by xenogere. I'm pleased to be part of the lovely guided walk through many fascinating places.
Marja-Leena | 19/12/2009 | 17 comments
themes: Being an Artist, Canada and BC
Love the photos. Especially like the idea of someone decorating a tree in its natural habitat. You'll have to keep your eye out and see if they remove the bobbles and put up new decorations come Easter time. Merry Christmas to you and your family. Must be nice to have them flying in from all over the world.
Fifth pic down - BC's attempt to do an Avebury. But in this case for the wee people. (The penultimate word is used with extreme irony.)
Amazing! Here we are in the tropics southern England shrouded in ice and snow, and there you in the North West of Canada, apparently snow-less.
Lilalia, yes these decorations in the wild were a surprise. We'd spotted them a couple of weeks ago but didn't have the camera then. Family flying in from London is not all over the world, but sometimes it seems that way :-) Thanks for the good wishes, Merry Christmas to you and yours too!
BB, you're right, these are more Avebury in shape. Didn't you know we have our own little forest people, little gnomes or elves?
Joe, isn't the weather strange? Not to split hairs, we're in southwest Canada, but in the so-called Pacific Northwest region. It's usually the balmiest part of Canada, except last winter. Your turn now, eh.
it is our turn for the white stuff...I am quite enjoying it really...apart from the cold feet
I love those colors from the woods! Even the greys of clouds and water.
It was this time a year ago that Portland was snowed and iced in for more than a week. Not only couldn't we get our little car out of the garage beneath our building but the buses didn't come up here either. I prefer snow where the civic authorities have the means to deal with the stuff. I bet you're just as happy to enjoy the soft sounds of rainfall too. The pictures are lovely.
Rosie, keep on enjoying the white stuff for me and put on some wool socks!
Maria, yes, the rain forest has its own beauty.
Susan, I recall that snow storm of a year ago hit most of the Pacific Northwest, and we kept getting more right into January. A wee part of me would like a little of the white stuff for Christmas - it's been part of my every Christmas in my first almost 30 years!
A delightful pairing of words and images.
Hi Dick, and thanks!
Lovely pictures, I especially like the silvery lake through the trees, an image from one of my earliest dreams I can remember.
I thought for a moment the baubles were some kind of exotic fruit!
Glorious images.
Happy Christmas to you.
Lucy, thanks, it does look like a lake though it's an ocean inlet. It wasn't this dark but you know how the camera makes everything darker when looking directly at the sun, feeble though it was. The baubles on the tree were most startling to come across in the woods and it makes more sense that you'd think it was fruit.
HHB, thank you and a Merry Christmas to you!
I have seen decorated forest trees along the highway between Portland and the Coast.
I'm feeling a bit nostalgic for the land where real Christmas trees grow.
Hattie, I wonder if our decorator comes from that region, or was inspired by it?! Oh, I'd definitely miss the northern Christmas with its trees, as I miss the snow!
The house is smelling wonderful from baking the stollen, just took the last one out of the oven.
The photo's are wonderful and cleverly matched with beautiful words.
Jasmine, welcome and thank you! I've peeked at your blog and will be back!