Category Archives: tree

Reveling in the ephemeral abundance of flowers

Posted on May 11, 2015 by jyourist

Our crab apple is flowering, more buds than we have ever had before. It literally looks like it is covered in snow. All grown from a volunteer seed that a volunteer bird ate inside a nearby crab apple and deposited in … Continue reading →

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Moto no aware

Posted on April 18, 2015 by jyourist

I took this photo of Sakura (white cherry blossoms) and Ume (pink plum blossoms) three years ago in Kyoto after walking through miles of bright orange tori gates at Fushimi-Inari. In Japan the timing of sakura blooming is closely monitored and when … Continue reading →

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Silver Maple

Posted on January 26, 2015 by jyourist

The 125 year old silver maple in our backyard just got a trim. Long overhanging branches hovering over our house and over the neighbors’ yards were cut off relieving some of the weight on the crotch of the tree. This old … Continue reading →

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The Tree Project

Posted on August 20, 2013 by jyourist

When I posted about our trip to Japan in search of one of the Hibaku trees (a ginkgo at Hosen-ji, which survived the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima), I was doing some googling and came across the Tree Project … Continue reading →

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“Tree” by Jane Hirshfield

Posted on April 3, 2013 by jyourist

It is foolish to let a young redwood grow next to a house. xxx Even in this one lifetime, you will have to choose. xxx That great calm being, this clutter of soup pots and books — xxx Already the … Continue reading →

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“When I am among the trees” by Mary Oliver

Posted on December 22, 2012 by jyourist

When I am among the trees, especially the willows and the honey locust, equally the beech, the oaks and the pines, they give off such hints of gladness. I would almost say that they save me, and daily. I am … Continue reading →

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The ash Buddha

Posted on July 20, 2012 by jyourist

Today JB and I cut down a volunteer ash tree right between the neighbor’s and our backyard. The tree has been getting repeatedly tangled in the powerlines. It was growing in the exact wrong spot, right underneath the place where … Continue reading →

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Pomelo oasis

Posted on March 8, 2012 by jyourist

I love grapefruits, especially ruby reds. I love that composite sweet and sour taste. The flavor is complex, like a rich red wine. But it is also intense. I sometimes feel like I need to be “ready” to eat a … Continue reading →

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Wisdom and poetic inspiration on the parkway

Posted on August 20, 2011 by jyourist

The city has finally replaced the tree that they removed on the parkway in front of our house (Final Requiem for the Silver Maple). We thought we we would be able to choose the tree we wanted but the city … Continue reading →

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