The tree as seen from my Soul

What do you see in this tree? I see glory, harmony, perfection, unity, togetherness, order, clearness, arrangement, structure, season, cycle,  Life.

I had to take this pic as it inspired me. I felt renewed staring up at this free, and thinking how this tree and I fit in harmoniously with nature. I felt my being on the earth. Such gratitude boiling out from me.

Many trees have come and gone. Many have commanded my honor and attention, and I have so willingly gave it. However, this tree had me stop what I was doing in my seemingly hectic schedule of work tasks. I silently left what I was doing to give special attentiveness to the “still, small voice” speaking to me as I looked up to this angel of the earth. 

I probably would have continued what I was doing, the routine, the not-so-interesting duty of the work world. I was obligated to complete my job duties and move on the the next set of tasks. I just could not leave this tree unnoticed, and without sharing this moment with you. 

Look at the lines, the curves, and see how they harmoniously work with each other. Then, give gratitude for this tree, and all the tree creatures in our midst. Maybe you will take the next tree pic. Please send it to me when you do. I would like more refreshments.

Crooked Creek Development with Butterflies

Today, I took a 30 minute drive from Tallahassee, Florida,  to the small community of Monticello, in neighboring, Jefferson County. I had some business to complete at the old Jefferson High School, and it is old. I think of the memories these old school have for prior students. Monticello is an old, country community, with a lot of community pride, history, and in an area surrounded by horse farms, and horse stables, as well as evergreen forests. I see not just a few varieties of evergreens, but a vast array of green trees, as well as the seasonal leaf throwers. The old historic district of Monticello, has its big, stately turn of the century homes, and yards filled with an abundance of plants of many identities. I can’t help but get garden ideas from these old, out of the way communities.

In Monticello there is a new single family home development, called Crooked Creek, which is spacious, and at this time, only has infrastructure, and a couple homes. Once filled with homes, this will be a big neighborhood, but at this time, it is an empty piece of nature, with roads running through it.

Today, in Crooked Creek subdivision, I saw many yellow butterflies, big white birds with long necks, and a variety of different kinds of trees, mostly evergreen trees. You can tell I don’t know my flora and fauna names, but I do know the harmony and beauty of living in and surrounded by nature, because for most of my life I have been in that situation, and have been so united with nature.

I think of nature as another way of describing the creation of God. Nature is good, because nature is God. God made nature, and God is good. When I look at the forests, the trees, butterflies flying around together, birds together, all the beautiful, harmonious pieces of nature, I think of the verse from Genesis in which it says, “God saw everything he had made, and behold it was very good.” What I saw today was very good too.

I talk to so many people who want land, or want to have a quieter lifestyle, with the loveliness of creation appearing all around them, outside of thick urban areas. Tallahassee is much like that with all its parks, trees making the area look like a forest, and the many green, conservation zones between neigborhoods. Monticello, Florida is a community like this: green trees all over, quiet residential streets, a nature friendly, and people friendly community. Yes, God’s green creation, and for many, a garden of loveliness. Crooked Creek will be that comfort zone for individuals and families.

Crooked Creek is so easy to get to from the Tallahassee. The people in Monticello live a quiet, countryfied life, and yes, with those yellow butterflies, and can still get to Tallahassee for the many benefits of that larger community.

When I think of Florida’s Ecosystems

The other day, sitting on the deck of my home outside of Tallahassee, Florida, I got to thinking about photosynthesis. No, I was not thinking about my son’s obsession with video games, or the ugly news of the day. The wind was blowing, and the leaves on the trees in the green zone behind my home were wrestling and making that sound that always rests me. All day long those leaves are at work in the operation of photosynthesis. That is a benefit to all of us oxygen consumers.

Tallahassee has some great museums, where Florida’s nature can be studied. I am thinking of the Natural History Museum in southwest Tallahassee, with its zoo, and science center. There are or have been explanation of how photosynthesis works. It works alright. It better.

You see, we are blessed with so many evergreen trees. Trees are everywhere. Our air is healthy. Remember, trees filter out impurities in the air.

Now, as I had enough of that contemplation, I decided to get the grill ready for the hamburgers. We like the outdoors, even on these hot summer days. As long we we have shade, and plenty of ice cold lemonade or ice tea. We can always go inside later.

Next time you complain about too many trees, think of how important they are to the air we breath, and nature in general. Think of the animals including bird life that live in the trees. Thinks of the shelter trees give our homes from the hot penetrating sun. Florida use to have even more trees, but of course, as communities grow, trees are cut down.

To be in our Florida’s state parks

Around Tallahassee, Florida, there is an abundance of nature. There are state parks, with forests, lakes, rivers, and sandy beaches along the Gulf of Mexico. Florida is a state with an abundance of state parks and recreational areas. There are 161 state parks in florida with 700,000 acres and 100 miles of beach front. Florida is among the nation’s leads the nation in number of parks. We have nature, and plenty of it. This is the nature I grew up in as a resident of Florida for most of my life.

July 13th is a special day in our state’s park system. Admission that day is free. The state is encouraging individuals, children, and families to get out into nature. This is a state, and national attempt to contribute towards the reduction of that nature deficit disorder which seems to be crippling many of our children and young people who spend hours a day indoors and on the computer. Hey, I am a computer geek too, but I love the outdoors too. I get my love of nature from my childhood roamings through nature.

You see, as a child, I had a forest in back of the home, that I often played in, hiked in, ran in, made forts in. My buddies and I made plenty of forts in the woods back there. We made our own trails. We even made little fires for fun, and fished in the little creek that ran through the woods in back of my Milton, Florida, home. I just about memorized the trees, paths, interesting land formations, and route of the creek. Even today, I have the forest all mapped out in my thoughts. I remember those moments of solitude, and those moments of hanging out with friends back there, and the team work involved in making forts, and having our own special club. The things we did, hahaha. Boys will be boys. Those were the days before the widespread use of computers, in the seventies. Yeah, those wonderful seventies.

Prior to that, we lived in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and we had an arroyo not far from the house. Along the dried up arroyo, there were streaks of bamboo forests, and open land. I am my friends played there, had rock fights from one side of the arroyo to the other, wrestled in the arroyo, made sand trails, hiked as far as we could toward the Sandia Mountains. Yes, nature was all around us. I also learned the ways of the high desert trees, bushes, wind, cliffs, arroyos, and the southwestern sky.

Now, in my Tallahassee home, my back yard is beside a green zone on Little Lake Jackson. We have deer, fox, rabbits, lizards, snakes, alligators, and different bird species. Nature is alive here as in almost every place I lived throughout my life.

When I was a kid, dad took me camping in the New Mexico mountains, and when living in California, during the first eight years of my life, dad took me into Yosemite, Sequoia, Big Bear and other parks and forests, and taught me how to climb mountain rocks, how to walk across mountain streams, how to set up camp. Dad also loved nature.

Where will I be July 13th? I will be in one of Florida’s state parks, reuniting again, as always, with nature, along with my wife and son. We will be out there smelling the green of the trees, hearing the sounds of the creatures, hiking the paths of the park, swimming in the lakes or rivers, bicycling around the park, canoeing. Wow, so many things we can do. Outdoor recreation is almost unlimited. Free admission.

What Trees to do Me

Around my home are many trees. We have a green zone of trees in our back, with rabbit, deer, fox, turtle, and other living organisms. I grew up with trees and in  most homes i lived in, in California, New Mexico, northwest Florida, Connecticut, there was a green zone either in the back yard, or close by. Always there were trees around the homes. To this day, I appreciate what trees do for the world, what values they have, and the beauty they have. Dad took me camping a lot when I was a young child, and I grew up in boy scouts. We went to a lot of interesting forests. I learned a lot about trees, how to tell the age of trees from the trees rings, how to identify certain trees. I read inspiring poems from great poets about trees. I read the thoughts and stories of the earlier native cultures in the Americas about trees. I am now teaching my son, and other children that I come in contact with, the importance of respecting, honoring and protecting trees, and what trees do for us.

Not too many decades ago, real estate developers, and builders went into an area, and literally removed all the trees to build what they felt was more important that saving the lives of trees. Of course, some trees have to be removed, this is logical, but not every single tree. Trees are part of natural ecosystems, and can color the landscaping.

Today, some, not all, developers are careful about removing all the trees, and do keep some of the trees in place. Also, laws or local ordinances have sprung up making those who cut down trees in the course of their business, to plant new trees. Tallahassee, Florida, has such an ordinance. In fact it is very hard to cut down trees in this community without a permit. Neighbors have had old, enormous Oak trees in or near their property, and have had a difficult time getting permission to have the big guy cut down. Tallahassee folks love trees as I do, and we are blessed with having so many canopy roads, roads with tree branch ceilings. There is a local group as well as local government, working to protect those trees from future threats.

Trees give us so many things. I will name a few that come to mind. They give us oxygen. Remember studying photosynthesis in biology class. Yes, trees need carbon dioxide to make oxygen for us breathing organisms. Cut down too many trees and the oxygen supply is in danger, and will be reduced. Of couse the seas also give us oxygen, as well as bushes.

Trees are the home to many other living organisms, squirrels, birds make nests, and so forth. Also there is the symbiotic relationship between trees and other plant life.

Trees are fun places for children to climb and make tree houses. What boy does not want to play in a tree house, and have his own club for his buddies.

Trees give us rubber for our tires, wood for furniture, paper we so religiously use, and wood for our homes. Most homes built today have a wood frame. Just drive by most any new home development under construction. What do you see going up: wood boards. We get pencils from our trees. I cannot neglect to mention the vast amount of medicines, and other chemical products that come from trees.

I like looking out at trees. I like visiting parks and forests, camping in the forests, admiring the stateliness, beauty and perfection of the trees. I can’t get enough trees in my life. They are my friends, each and everyone of them.

My suggestion to the world, is that we think carefully before chopping down a tree, or having someone do it. I would suggest that we make sure our local representatives pass ordinances to protect the trees in their communities. I would also suggest that more of us get out in nature, camp among the trees, and review the workings of photosynthesis, which is an necessary process for our survival on earth.

Tallahassee and its surroundings have so many trees, state parks for camping, hiking, getting out in nature, and a big national forest. This is a community of green everywhere it seems. Many other communities in Florida, such as Jacksonville, and Tampa, have few if any canopy roads, and have cut down most of their trees. I am proud of Tallahassee’s stand to protect its trees.

Visting and driving through the older neighborhoods, you see what was trees that that have been standing in their ground for so many years. There are trees several hundred years old. Yes, there is an abundance of old trees here. When looking homes with your real estate agent, talk about the trees if you like trees. Ask that one of the features that your home must have is trees in the yard, or a green zone out back.

Those Lovely Trees

So Divine, so Majestic. Those trees, those lovely trees that dot the community inside and out in and around Tallahassee, Florida. This is the number one reason why I and many others live in this area, because of the trees. These trees are protected by local ordinance, and are one everpresent fact about this community. We have many tree canopy roads, that are an established feature in the Tallahassee community. The trees relate to the regions’ history, the lumber industry of the past, and they identify the neighborhoods. Newer neighborhoods have smaller, younger trees, usually, and established neighborhoods have big, older trees, usually. Each tree tells its unique story, and is its own character within a big book of nature. A tree standing for years on someone’s front yard, has watched over a lot of history going on at that residence.

Why my adoration of trees. I have always felt at home around trees. I daily commune among the trees of my backyard, and often visit the forests of the regions many parks and forests. The trees tell my story, my love of nature, and fondness for the simplicity of life among the tall giants that watch over us. I often feel like the trees are divine messenger to us, telling us how to behave. I try to listen to their messages, while in deep contemplation of their presense. I delight in the joy the trees bring me. They are my best non-human friends within the ecosystems I inhabit and visit.

After long hours of toil, I feel comforted among the trees. Some of my favorite moments are camping with family and friends in the woods, making a campfire, hiking on the trails, and just being there in nature away from the office, the hustle and bustle of work life.

Maybe there are others reading this who share the same fascination, and longing to be among the trees. I would love to hear from you, and your tree tales.

My Leon County Florida Backyard View

My home sweet home. In the picture you see what I see looking out from the back of my house in northwest Leon County, Florida, just outside of Tallahassee.

It is not the greenest appearance of nature since the picture was just taken, here in December. Most of my life I have had nature scenes similar to this in the back of my home. I feel blest to have experience nature up close. Photosynthesis is working right before my eyes and I am breathing good air. Deer, rabbits, fox, turtles are some of the inhabitants out in that green zone separating my home from Little Lake Jackson.

I don’t usually pass a day without admiring this forested area and expanse of privacy. Other neighbors have a simillar view, a view that I hope they admire and rejoice in as much as I do.

My love of flora came from my early beginnings, those first 9 years
of my life in southern California. Dad often took me camping in Sequoia National Park, Yosemite National Park and elsewhere. Dad took me out rock hunting in nature to find rocks for his awesome Japanese Garden that he built in our California backyard. During that time, I also was active in Cub Scouts, (and later Boy Scouts). When we moved to New Mexico, where I lived for 2 years until age 11 or 12, I joined the boy scouts, and went camping almost twice a month. Dad also, took me hiking, rock hunting, and taught me about rocks. We explored abandoned ghost towns that were sitting in isolated regions of New Mexico. I spent much time in the outdoors with dad, growing up.

Then there was Grandpa Fach. He owned a canyon outside of Albuquerque, over 300 acres I believe. He used to take me on mountain hikes and taught me about the flora and fauna of his canyon. He was a naturalist among many other things. He kept a record of the number of bird varieties showing up in the canyon.

To this day, I am the happiest man on earth when I am in the presense of trees, green nature around me, (and maybe some rocks to go with it).