The skin of the birch
The forest is alive.
Trees layer in skin, surrounding the core.
Reach out and touch the textures of bark. Soft, smooth, tender.
Hard, scratchy, rough.
Each skin of each individual tree shimmers with uniqueness, with individuality. Don’t let your mind fool you into believing there’s only a single concept of bark, a single way trees are.
Shadow play
In the early morning light of dawn, shadows play on the skin of trees. Leaves dance against the bark. If your imagination starts dancing you might even glimpse the Little People lounging on the roots, caressing the underground skin. If you look closely, closely, at the bark you might even see small creatures burrowing in the crevices.
Hello, creature. Almost missed you.
Peer closely now. There’s fungus of every description. Whorls and crevices and depths abound. Insects clatter up and down the steep slopes of their homes. Oh, there’s so much to see. Don’t let the fickle leaves distract you. Stay true to the bark-skin, at least for awhile. It has so much to share.
OK, you're getting close enough now. Look at the trails.
For you scientific sorts, I’ll bet you already know the purpose of bark. It protects the inner layers of the tree. Bark acts like a shield to protect the vascular cambium, phloem, and xylem which are located just beneath the surface. In everyday language, bark is the protector. It takes care of the inner more delicate parts. It shields. It whispers for us to come close, to look, to touch. Just don’t bring a chain saw or axe, please.
Dark skin and light skin
Root and bark, leaf and fruit. So many different parts of the creatures which grow from shrubby low-to-the-ground fellows to swaggering giants reaching up to touch the sky. We’re honored to share the planet with them.
But look…what might this be? NO, say it’s not so. It must be the tree’s giggle about yesterday’s blog. The first red leaf. She wafted down from way up above and rests gently on this old grandfather’s skin.
Oh the fickle leaves! "How quickly they change," sighs the bark.
17 comments
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July 21, 2009 at 7:24 pm
tookyjay
Love the skin of a birch shot. Nice photos and blog.
Check out my photo blog:
http://tookyjay.wordpress.com/
July 22, 2009 at 5:20 pm
centria
Hi Jay. Thanks for stopping by. Glad you liked the birch shot. It’s one of my favorites too. Checked out your blog…isn’t photography fun?
July 22, 2009 at 6:03 am
flandrumhill
So often I read one of your posts and think ‘Oh wow, this is her best one yet!’ and so it is today.
Sometimes I look at barks in the forest and am so absolutely amazed at the differences between one tree and another. You’ve captured these in your photos. That precious little leaf in the bottom picture has every color in it.
Thanks so much for mentioning the Little People. Sometimes Kathy, I really do wonder if I’m the only one who considers their presence in the woods these days. So glad I’m not alone
July 22, 2009 at 5:22 pm
centria
Your post made me smile half the afternoon! Thank you, Amy. You’re right about that leaf having every color in it. Didn’t notice it before. Just the red! Oh, yes, I am also convinced that the woods is full of spirits or essences around every corner and hiding in cattail ponds and by winding roots and deep in the thimbleberry forests. You are certainly certainly not alone!
July 22, 2009 at 7:49 am
irisofthewayfarer
beautiful pictures, all of them. I just saw that I am on your blogroll. Thank you very much for that.
July 22, 2009 at 5:23 pm
centria
Irisofthewayfarer (is your name Iris?) I try to remember to put blogs that I want to read on my blogroll. Otherwise it’s hard to remember all the fun blogs to visit. Been kinda busy, but will wander by yours again one of these days soon. Thanks for liking the pics!
July 22, 2009 at 8:23 am
sahlah
Tree bark is texture heaven! I love the birch tree – they are not part of my daily tree viewing. Thanks.
July 22, 2009 at 5:25 pm
centria
I’m so sorry that the dear birch doesn’t live that far west. It is an awesome tree, one of my favorites. A few years ago we thought they were all dying. Many of them did…don’t remember from what disease or problem. But they are doing better these days. Thank goodness!
July 22, 2009 at 10:41 am
Gerry
Your birch definitely looks “touchably soft.” Mine are rather more, um, grizzled. I really like Shadow Play, too. A green shadow is arresting.
When I visited Los Angeles I discovered that eucalyptus trees shed bark the way the Cowboy sheds his coat. Long strips of it litter the sidewalks, and they’re as soft as a well-tanned doeskin. (The bark, that is. Cowboy’s fur fills my house, but that’s another discussion.) In a way it was a little, er, creepy to find that the treebark felt so much like skin.
July 22, 2009 at 5:26 pm
centria
The birch come from touchably soft around here to jagged and cutting. Seriously. Depends on the tree and the age and probably lots more variables too. Shadow Play is still a result of my new love affair with light and shadow. Interesting about eucalyptus trees. Never thought about skin/bark as being creepy. Hmmm….a new dimension to think about!
July 22, 2009 at 1:49 pm
Lulu
I love trees and I must admitd I haven’t been outside this year as much as I should have so looking at your pictures evokes a yearning in my heart.
I love touching bark, holding trees. They have their own distinct personality, not every tree is into hugging, did ya know that?
Can’t believe there’s a red leaf already!
You’re halfway the year Kathy, may be you shouldn’t stop December 31st. You have 6 month to think about this Lol!
July 22, 2009 at 1:53 pm
Lulu
Couldn”t find a way to edit last post so here’s a PS:
Melissa just came back from Lisbon and she visit a botanical garden there and as soon as she mails me the pics I’m going to share them with you because of some magnificant trees. Tropical elephant trees and the sort. Amazing.
July 22, 2009 at 5:29 pm
centria
Dear Lucienne, oh do share those Lisbon tree photos from Melissa. They sound awesome! So many different trees all around the world. I remember the “arm trees’ from the Netherlands. They have branches sticking straight out like arms. And what an accurate statement about not all trees are into hugging. That really hadn’t penetrated my awareness. We should always ask permission and talk to the trees with knowledge of their aliveness. (And I say that from the perspective of someone who uses the trees as heat…to try to always remember the sacredness of the fact that they give our life so we can be warm, so we can read, so we can sit in chairs…)
July 23, 2009 at 8:43 pm
Cindy Lou
My favorite today? The birch – it’s lovely! I planted a “Royal Frost Birch” in the front yard this spring – it has a burgundy colored trunk that will peel to a frost white..can’t wait to see it. As I stroll through the woods on my walks – I often look for the forest folk….one of these days, I hope to catch a glimpse of one though I sense their spirits even if I don’t.
July 24, 2009 at 9:57 am
centria
Your Royal Frost Birch sounds lovely, that will be fun to see. A burgundy colored trunk! That is so unique. Perhaps all we’ll get to do, ever, is to glimpse the Little Folk’s spirits. Except maybe in dreams. I’ve talked to them in dreams. Shhh, probably shouldn’t be sharing that here. ha ha!
December 19, 2009 at 7:39 pm
Memories can make you cry… « Opening the door, walking outside
[...] simple blogs from that day forward. (Which probably didn’t happen again.) And then there was Skin which seemed to elicit a visceral sense of connection with tree bark. But I think my all-time [...]
July 21, 2011 at 6:14 am
Elisa's Spot
That special bright blue light and differently sounding leaves on the cooler breezes! The trick of Autumn after such heat, seduces us and then….
winter (still poo!) hehehe