mea culpa … now, here is a real Japanese Flowering Cherry tree. The big one is a Plum.)

In the interest of truth and wisdom, I have to issue a correction — dealing with my misidentification of flowering trees.

I mistakenly identified my beautiful tree with the purple foliage and explosion of gorgeous pink blossoms as a Japanese Flowering Cherry. In fact, the tree in question is a PLUM tree. I am not sure what its real name is, but I will find out by asking the nursery where it came from.

However…before I drown in protests, I hasten to add that there IS indeed a Japanese Flowering Cherry tree out in my yard right next to the mis-identified Plum tree. I personally planted both of the flowering trees about 20 years ago.

Here’s the thing: Several years ago the Cherry tree developed a serious illness, and gradually died. The branches formed a pleasing shape any way, and when I noticed that several new little shoots were coming out of the ground I decided to leave them alone and see what happened. Gradually the old tree deteriorated, and lost upper branches to the elements. I let the tree trunk remain as a framework for the new shoots to climb on. Two or three years ago I discovered a few flowers on the tree.

(Photos and story ©Sometimes, 2021)

Same point of view, two days later:

Same Yellow Tree….taken on Saturday, November 15. Same vantage point, view out the window of my office room. Then scroll down to see what three days and a brief, but mighty windstorm did to the neighborhood:

Taken Tuesday, November 17. The Tree, as I call it, is seen as actually at least two individual trees, as is obvious from the second photo. It took only two Ohio November days, a touch of thunder, rain and hail, and high wind to completely change the scenery. Nature at work. (Photos ©Sometimes, 2020.)

bringing down the trees: a study in accuracy & precision

I spent most of three days watching the clearing of a 1.8 acre lot which I sold recently.   The operation was both sad and fascinating.   The company that did this work was efficient, the crews worked magnificently together, and the huge trees fell precisely as intended…where they had stood for a hundred years.     (All photos are  my own.)

 

DSC02343.JPG THE LAST APPLE TREE N MY HOUSE
The last apple tree, my house in the background. 

 

DSC02364.JPG VIEW FROM THE LAST APPLE
The last apple tree, facing Southeast.    

 

20180627193349.m2ts STILL OF APPLE TREE(3)
There goes the last tree after it was cut down, on its way to the chipper.

 

DSC02374.JPG TREES STILL THERE
Here is the Eastern corner while some trees on the tree line are still standing.  

DSC02375.JPG VERY GOOD GUY UP IN BUCKET RED SHIRT
Man in red shirt in bucket…others working on downed branches.

 

DSC02376.JPG VERY GOOD SHOT OF TREE GOING TO CHIPPER
Tree top down.  

DSC02410.JPG SAME AS 09 BUT SHOWS CHAIN SAW
Chainsaw dangling from top of crane; dragging tree top to chipper.   The yellow machine is a stump digger, operates by remote control.  The white building is the church.   The clump of ornamental grass in the foreground is on the very edge of the property, so far spared by the operation.  

 

Enter a caption

 

DSC02364.JPG VIEW FROM THE LAST APPLE
Cleared field, the last apple tree standing.   

 

 

20180627193349.m2ts STILL OF APPLE TREE(3)
There goes the last tree after it was cut down, on its way to the chipper.

 

DSC02374.JPG TREES STILL THERE
Here is the Eastern corner while some trees on the tree line are still standing.  

DSC02375.JPG VERY GOOD GUY UP IN BUCKET RED SHIRT
These were healthy old growing trees.

DSC02376.JPG VERY GOOD SHOT OF TREE GOING TO CHIPPER
Excellent team work and organization.  

DSC02410.JPG SAME AS 09 BUT SHOWS CHAIN SAW
Chainsaw hanging down; big log being lowered by chain; branch on way to chipper. 

DSC02261
This is way the edge looked before the pathway was created. The red ribbons marked the approximate location of the property pin.

DSC02498.JPG APPLE TREE RIP
Tri-corner section.

DSC02493.JPG NORTH TALL TREE LITTLE MACHINES

DSC02418.JPG tree down w dust
Dusty landing… exactly where it was headed.  

DSC02422.JPG the last tree to go
The last tree on the tree line, moments before it came down.  

DSC02431.JPG wrangler w operator
Chomp…moving to chipper.  

DSC02457.JPG LOWERING BIG LOG SEE MAN IN BUCKET
Down comes the log; stump digger waits its turn.

A walk with Sister down back…

The closing date is near, and soon most of these blooming trees in the photos will be gone forever.   Not all…the part being sold is about 1.7 acres, but the remaining six or so acres will remain family property.   Here are a few of the phots I took the other day when Sister (my calico house cat) and I took a walk to the back, where the highway fence marks the edge of our land.   Thanks for tagging along!

DSC02274
Daisies and a little bug.  

DSC02260
Sister surveying from a bird’s eye view.  

DSC02148
Pond through the trees.  

DSC01826 nice long shot
Redbud and other blooming trees.

 

 

 

DSC01827

Rescued Trees

DSC00018.JPG WIDE YARD VIEW
Here are two trees I trimmed to create a base for a trellis; will train the clematis (behind the plastic trellis) to move over.   The obligatory cats are Peggy and Dottie.

DSC00023.JPG TRIMMED SPRUCE TREE
Here’s the huge, homely evergreen tree that I had originally planned to remove entirely, but decided to trim it as shown.   (I admit that it did manage to mask the unattractiveness behind.)

DSC00019.JPG TRIMMED NUT TREE
This new haircut for the nut tree was unplanned; originally the top was slated to be cut off. I like the “umbrella” effect. The purpose here was to control the excessive shade that was affecting my hibiscus.       The big maple in the middle of the photo is on the other side of the yard, had its beginning as a volunteer in a pot.  

DSC00028.JPG TRIMMED MAPLE TOP SKY
This is the maple tree, showing the branch that was not easily reachable with the ladder. I like it this way. This originally started as a volunteer, so persistent that I finally braided it, and now I’ll just see where it wants to go.

DSC00047.JPG HELICOPTER
A helicopter, I think maybe the Sheriff, looking around or coming into the airport.

….a surprise in my Tree Garden

My gardening is about as haphazard as my housekeeping.   Plants and trees just sort of fend for themselves, and left to their own devices they never cease to amaze me.    Years ago, when I first built this house, planted assorted trees and other plants….not counting the volunteers in my notorious “tree garden.”      One of the prettiest of my flowering varieties, with marvelous pink flowers, kept pace with another ornamental tree nearby…until we had an especially cold winter about five years ago which froze out and killed quite a lot of specimen in this area.   Although it has been apparent that this tree was indeed defunct, what with its growth covering of lichen.   The branches literally disintegrated to the point where many were removed by the wind itself.

Ever the optimist, last year I determined that among the miscellaneous plant life growing in the vicinity, several shoots were thought to be trees, but their species was quite unknown to me, and could be one of numerous trees in the near neighborhood.      So I let the people that wield weed-wappers and chainsaws, and such, in the area…that these weed-appearing growths are to be left alone.    The tree itself kept developing lichen, and chunks of it kept falling off…I could push the whole thing over if so inclined.

This morning my daughter (who lives next door) and I went for a walk around the place and I pointed out the tree, and its new growth.   The bark of the tree has reminded me of cherry tree bark, and the shoots were developing thickness enough to see that the bark was the same.   As my eye traveled up the tree…there were three pink flowers…which I recognized as being related to the tree in question, and a closer look found two more blossoms further down the branches.

I of course ran in the house to grab my camera.   My first shots were badly over exposed, with the sun high up behind the blossoms, so that the sky was bright and drowned out the delicate pink color.   Each blossom is about an inch in diameter.

 

 

 

NEW N OLD 2
New Growth in front, next to the original tree.  

 

TREE NEW N OLD
Tree covered with lichen and moss.  New growth behind.

 

 

PINK CLOSE GOOD TREE GARDEN
A long shot toward the North, the barn and Tree Garden on the left rear,  the subject tree with the blossoms hanging from a new growth branch…the original tree to the right.

DSC00630 (2)
Welcome blossoms!   

 

 

LAST DAY OF SUMMER

Friday was beautiful…75 degrees F.       On Saturday the cold and snow came in!   The photos may serve as reminders of the Summer of 2016.   (as of November 18-19, 2016)

 

DSC08366
Glorious Red Maple, w/evergreen

 

 

DSC08369
Long view

 

 

DSC08377
Assortment of Leaves at My Place

 

 

DSC08384
Felix and Mawkin talkin’ about the weather

 

 

 

DSC08397
Last of the Daisies

 

 

DSC08399
A blue-eyed Daisy.

 

 

DSC08409
Eastern Path into the Tree Garden

 

 

DSC08415
Rock in the Leaves 

 

 

DSC08420
Center Path

 

 

DSC08422
Heading North-East

 

 

DSC08425
Clown Shadow 

 

 

DSC08428
Center Fork

 

 

DSC08429
Bittersweet House

 

 

DSC08430
Mid Garden Maple

 

 

DSC08435
Shadowy Intrigue

 

 

DSC08443
Ring-a-thing, with Shadow

 

 

DSC08448
Twirly

 

 

DSC08453
Rock of Ages 

 

 

DSC08458
Survivors!

 

 

 

 

DSC08461
Close-up  Surprise

 

 

DSC08470
Chair in Shadows

 

 

DSC08471
Late-bloomers Peek Out

 

 

DSC08473
Not only late, but protected by the chair because the plants grew among the maze-stones.

 

 

DSC08474
Here We Are!

 

A trio of Shadorma poems of Trees

DSC04575
From my Tree Garden, ©Sometimes,2015

Old Elm tree
American Elm
once a pest…
limbs too much shade,
extinction well on its way
lives in memories

tree farm grows
crop of sad seedlings?
Not at all…
consider
chance of life or none at all.
A purpose, not waste.

Of all gifts
nature has for us
best of all
may be trees
Trees serve us well all our days
from crib to coffin.

©Sometimes,2015

(Written for Shadorma Challenge)