Monday, April 2, 2012

Stumps


Today I got home from my short trip to Florida and had time to walk around the garden for the first time in a long while.   I'm seeing the effects of our major snowstorm last October, where we lost so many trees.  We must have cut down 50 trees - maybe more, including major branches on enormous pines.
 
 There is so much beauty in these left over stumps - different crosscuts, different shapes.
 You can see times where the growth was fast and the growing season must have been wet and warm.
 You can see dry times, and places where the tree grew towards the light, or perhaps had an injury it was trying to protect.
 Some of them look like they were cut yesterday - they look so fresh.
 Some are grey with age, and look like they've been cut for years.
 I love the dark rims and curvy edges.
 This one looks like South America or Africa maybe.
 This one reminds me of an amoeba, with something organic happening in the center
 This one reminds me of an arrowhead, or maybe it's Africa or South America turned upside down.
 This is a cut branch on a big pine - and I like the pale, dark, pale, dark pattern.
 This one has a lovely purpley edge and lots of crumbly bits.
 This one is smooth and serene in my eyes.

And finally, with all those trees gone, my garden is getting more light...this forsythia usually blooms much later, but is a cheery yellow - delightfully smiley.

7 comments:

Cris, Artist in Oregon said...

How sad to lose all those trees.. Thankfully they didnt fall on your house. But look at the beauty in the stumps and the flowers that will now grow better.

marianne said...

Sad you lost so many trees but you gained a lot of light. I love that.
I love trees in the forest but in my home and garden I want light. Those stumps are beautiful in a way too!
Hope your Florida trip did you good
♥M

Lori ann said...

aw the trees are beautiful and that does look like africa mim.

Anne Huskey-Lockard said...

Always hate to see trees lost to storms, but the remaining stumps have a distinct beauty of their own.
Love all the photos and how different they look~~years of life compacted down to a ring.
Amazing silent recorders of time and seasons.

XXOO~~
Anne

Robin said...

Welcome back dear Mim! I hope that your stay *down South* was sweet - albeit short. Your Mum and Scruffy (and all the family who were there) were delighted to have you be a part of their Passover.

As sad as it was to lose all of those glorious trees, there IS something interesting and yes, even beautiful about tree stumps. One feels like one is entering the tree's *Library*...you see it's complete history ....it's *Life Story*.... the Rings of it's life are, indeed, beautiful...and as you pointed out, eachone is unique.
My favourites are *South America* and (of course) the one with Purple edging! But they all are gorgeous....a poignant reminder of the power of Nature.

A wonderful, thought-provoking post!

I hope that your DH continues to feel better and better....and you, too! (Did you paint your toenails HOT PINK?)

Love,

♥ Robin ♥

Lynn Cohen said...

Such beauty! I love them all, each one a piece of natures ART!!!!
the ameobia looks like it's talking to me. Thanks for taking all those photos. I sure loved seeing each design. Pretty flowers too! Happy sring. And hope all is well with the two of you.

Katiejane said...

Holy Cow, you lost a lot of trees! The insides are all so interesting. I agree with Lynn, look again at the photo of the ameobia one. I can see lips puckered around a black hole of a mouth! Hope you still have some good trees left.