Like a colossal paw on the forest floor, a giant cedar rests on the ground. The limbs that spread from its trunk are now trees themselves, nourished from the strong trunk with its roots still pressed into the soil.
Like a colossal paw…
Spring green Deer-Foot
The brilliant fresh green of the deer-foot (a.k.a. vanilla leaf) and more properly Achlys triphylla -- it is a delight to see their slender stalks, and the tight leaves, like hands with their palms pressed together, then opening like praying hands opening to the light —
The flowers will emerge later but meanwhile these beauties light up the forest floor everywhere the sun filters through.
spring beauty
Strong Roots
I’ve walked past this particular huckleberry for years but it was only yesterday I noticed the extraordinary lesson it was offering.
A metaphor of rootedness perhaps?
The stump that offered it life, and a strong base for its young life, has rotted quite thoroughly and is continuing to fall away, yet the strong roots continue to hold the huckleberry steady.
What a marvel! I’m going to think on this… but meanwhile, I wonder what it says to you?
New life in the forest
From a crevice in the cracked sandstone ridge, a slender young hemlock tree stretches up into the light. Sheltered by the large cedars, the sunlight filters through.
Golden Hours
In the morning and in the afternoon, the sunlight highlights the beauty all around…. The salmon berry blossom in the morning light (below), and the flowering currant in the afternoon as the sun lowers…
amidst the mess….
After a few good strong winds the beach is littered with fresh driftwood offerings… and some unexpected treasures. My eye was drawn at first by the marvellous tangle of roots. All the roots have been washed free of soil though likely on closer inspection there’ll be a few rocks and stones amidst th tangle. But it was a the treasure amidst the mess that my eyes finally rested on: the white bench, looking mostly, if not fully, intact. I wonder where it’s come from in its journey through the tides, and how it came to rest here, and who sat on it, and what stories it carries….
If you can’t identify this small treasure, look in the lower right of the frame amidst the logs….
Huckleberry in the light
As the sun filters through the canopy, a bit of light falls on the huckleberry…. Moment by moment, as we walk through the forest, small beauties and larger ones are lit up. I never tire or walking the trail, as its always different as the angle of light shifts with the time of day, and with the seasons. Even on gloomy or rainy days, a walk in the forest trail is a deep joy.
a week of mornings
every morning starts with its own unique light and possibilities.... below is a sampling of mornings this past week, April 1 to 7, 2024
The sun rises on a New Year
January 1, 2024
A few glimpses of the first sunrise of the year. My routine of capturing images of the mornings, day by day, continues. And my resolve for this year is to resume my postings on this website: a good project to re-launch as my retirement resumes.