1/04/2012

Looking back while walking forward...

11


So here we are...2012
...welcome.


I like that expression, "Be where your feet are,"
but I'm very glad I wasn't here the other evening when the Big Wind decided to catapult this limb
right out of the tree.
It's over six feet long (not counting how deep it's buried) and about four inches in circumference
...hit the ground like a javelin.


Think I'll leave it where it stands.  Birds will use it for a perch.
Looks about perfect for the resident kingfishers.


I counted at least five different species of lichens
growing at the base...
they have charming names like waxpaper lichen (used extensively by
the rufous hummingbirds to camouflage their nests),
ragbag lichen
and pincushion orange...
sounds like a Stitcher's Dictionary of Lichen, doesn't it.

Not far away, on the other side of the pond, one of my wrapped trees
hadn't been inspected for awhile so I wandered over there for a look.  Back in September of 2010,
I joined a project called 'wrapt, tied and marked by nature' - a group project that
involved leaving cloth wraps around parts of trees for a period of six months
to see what marks mother nature might provide...
sort of the ultimate natural dyeing.
A couple of us left our wrappings on much longer
since the marks were slow to develop.  I saw zero change after the six months,
but at that point the whole process had been too time consuming to not persevere.
My original post about all the trees I wrapped is over here.


I think I'm the last one still standing...and now it's been one year & four months...

 
...and lookie here...something has happened after all !


Well marked by lichen now and the underside has withstood some deer scratchings.
Appears that the insects have been busy leaving "scat"
and there's some beautiful staining from the tannin.
Time for a proper unveiling - for all the trees - very soon.  Then I can finish up this part of the project,
repurpose these textiles.

Got me some plans [grin]

Whatever thoughts we all might be having about this new year, it's good not to give up on the past
and it's even better to keep moving forward with purpose, all those lessons under our belts...



11 comments:

  1. I think it's cool that your foot could look so small in those green wellies...

    I think it's cool that you know the names of all the lichen on the bottom of your "javelin"...

    I think it's cool that you wrapped trees in your yard...

    You're just way cool. Happy New Year.

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  2. oh nice markings. good that you left it this long. i love the looks of the lichen...like frilly lace.

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  3. lucky that tree bandage was there when the tree decided to bleed a little. fabulous lichen names, one could do a project.....

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  4. It amazes me that you know the names of Lichen.

    It amazes me that when I saw the pic of the tree branch, I thought "what a great bird perch" and then I read it.

    It amazes me that a piece of cloth can be exposed to the elements for that length of time and not be more ..marked.

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  5. Patience is a great gift; it looks like yours has been well rewarded. It's been horrendously windy here too. I think of it as the wind of change, blowing away the old or blowing in the new. Happy new year x

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  6. bel emballage.. ça m'emballe!!!

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  7. Love those lichens!

    ...and yes, it IS good to look back...

    ...you may find something you missed first time 'round :-)

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  8. Wow to the javelin throw and wow to your patience! All I got was fungi growing through my wraps or wraps ripped off trees by critters! Oh and love the stitcher's lichen dictionary!

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  9. Your posting is a great way to start the new year! Looking back is always a good thing to do - like one glance backward while our feet move forward. I had never thought about the names for lichen - thanks for sharing those with us.

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  10. this post makes me happy
    lichen makes me happy
    and the names just kill me

    wrapped trees
    slowly marking time
    moving forward

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  11. Those are fantastic photographs. I also love getting in close and capturing the textures and patterns in nature. Amazing inspiration for our artwork.

    thanks again so much for sharing!

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