The Art of Looking (and Wandering)

It’s taken me some time to find my groove now that I’m back in the Pacific Northwest. Wandering through the forest helps me to remember the useful arts of looking, listening, and waiting. Inspiration, clarity, and understanding require a fair portion of patience and “receptiveness” to the unexpected.

The next time you have a chance to stroll through a park, garden, or forest, remember to slow your pace a bit and look, or listen, or simply breathe. If you cannot seem to find anything new, try a change of perspective: crane your neck upwards, squat down on your heels, lay on your belly, or simply turn around and look back on the path you’ve just traveled.

Forests of Seabeck

Happy Approaching-Winter-Solstice!

Greetings Arborealists!

I have just returned from a weekend visit to Pennsylvania. It was my first trip to the East Coast, and I had an excellent time.

I’m set up in a little cottage in the Philadelphia region, and let me tell you – you are all in for some serious tree extravagance once I get settled! The cottage is home to several old trees, and the general area is covered with all kinds of new greenery for us to explore!

For the next few weeks, I’ll be busy with my move. However, please return periodically for updates; by late January I should be back in full-blogging-swing! We'll be up and rolling just in time for the bud-bursting in Spring!

In the mean time, may I wish you all a wonderful holiday, and a joyous Winter Solstice, however you choose to celebrate the season. I’ve included an image for you from January 2005 at my Seabeck home. You’re looking up at Western hemlocks and an alder, staples of the Seabeck landscape.

Interestingly enough, I was blessed with about three inches of snow in Renton, WA before I flew out this past Friday, and about an inch-and-a-half of snow in Philly before I flew home on Sunday. I have a sneaking suspicion that there is much more snow in my future!

PS - I almost forgot to mention... if you live in the Southern Hemisphere, then may I wish you all a Happy-Almost-Summer-Solstice as well!

Western Hemlocks in Seabeck

It’s virtually impossible for me to pick a favorite tree. However, one of my “top ten” is the Western Hemlock. It has beautiful lacy needles, full and floppy limbs, and the young trees have lovely drooping tops.

Hemlock forests have a wonderful wind voice, full of murmurs and laughter. Seabeck (and the surrounding area) is blessed with countless young hemlocks and other PNW trees. To my knowledge, much of the original forest was removed circa the 1800’s for the lumber mills. Most likely, many of these trees have been regrown, harvested, and regrown again.

It is my hope that the hemlocks shown in this picture will stand and grow until the next ice age finally sends them back into hibernation!

Happy Almost Halloween!

Don't you totally dig those spider's webs in the hemlock? Ooooo, this is my ultimate favorite time of year!

Big Leaf Maples

I've heard it said that the Big Leaf Maples [Acer macrophyllum] are the real jewels of the Pacific Northwest… but personally, I’ve always felt it was the evergreens. Regardless, this time of year is when those Big Leafs make sure they get noticed, and lay their orange-yellow claims across acres and acres of PNW forests, cities, and in this case: backyards.