tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-85160702551067087942024-03-05T22:20:26.988-08:00The San Juan Islands: A Sense of PlaceShann Westonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04630862230126646431noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8516070255106708794.post-12319755778500091662012-05-16T20:47:00.005-07:002012-05-16T21:44:32.808-07:00Yellow Island: A Place of Beauty<style>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOxh9dDOEGdBvfdikPNpsCBBEOJYS4TKyU8pBdL1FTU96_kFrIcIo1a1dun08ymwn2_80gRgE9fJl1nn3oM87zb372QsnHxIiKpb4yC1aQoNnUPgtCaWizdThp-KL-2p3jAlurEDAdWm-J/s1600/IMG_2455.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOxh9dDOEGdBvfdikPNpsCBBEOJYS4TKyU8pBdL1FTU96_kFrIcIo1a1dun08ymwn2_80gRgE9fJl1nn3oM87zb372QsnHxIiKpb4yC1aQoNnUPgtCaWizdThp-KL-2p3jAlurEDAdWm-J/s320/IMG_2455.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHFFsxUf2k0RJAQuuAd8YTnzCyiakhJqil0i7yTYIRQCw4vtqPAhl9hNplNn9rkdC5NuuIshyVnHSuTuJDmPy5qUJtL9gO3ZTzMym-Fq1SdVLIdd1iRCe3lPYic0e2684w4NhnihaVH_iI/s1600/IMG_2817.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHFFsxUf2k0RJAQuuAd8YTnzCyiakhJqil0i7yTYIRQCw4vtqPAhl9hNplNn9rkdC5NuuIshyVnHSuTuJDmPy5qUJtL9gO3ZTzMym-Fq1SdVLIdd1iRCe3lPYic0e2684w4NhnihaVH_iI/s1600/IMG_2817.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>The first time I ever went to Yellow Island in 1996, I was
with a blind woman—a much loved
and respected member of my community.
While the rest of us feasted on riotous colors and sweeping views, <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcHa_4KTRn6ulAn2-9uN-US2kiaP21UZz_YijVZArHrO2B2ZFLTJrVw1LximSUDkh1-7w8JAIzc3aFqDdKigdSQ08f-Mh8_FrXD7X2sDVwedUBzY2t6jRiLLbc4LtHw82FrAMX92gSqdsf/s1600/IMG_2459.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a>she
was carefully led to perfumed scents, the rough touch of lichen against rock, <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBiiA6lVzFj55CTAqcoZzUMkFkyN3wONaxaJahqCx-Udhu8b6RNBhaTw0kg6Uj5QTacF79CtC2T-prO7uO68sOQkDIYQgQYQ9PsYLHhL-gC1fMY4b0wvALizOg98q7nSDU2chyXtLgzvtu/s1600/IMG_3427.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBiiA6lVzFj55CTAqcoZzUMkFkyN3wONaxaJahqCx-Udhu8b6RNBhaTw0kg6Uj5QTacF79CtC2T-prO7uO68sOQkDIYQgQYQ9PsYLHhL-gC1fMY4b0wvALizOg98q7nSDU2chyXtLgzvtu/s200/IMG_3427.jpg" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBiiA6lVzFj55CTAqcoZzUMkFkyN3wONaxaJahqCx-Udhu8b6RNBhaTw0kg6Uj5QTacF79CtC2T-prO7uO68sOQkDIYQgQYQ9PsYLHhL-gC1fMY4b0wvALizOg98q7nSDU2chyXtLgzvtu/s1600/IMG_3427.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBiiA6lVzFj55CTAqcoZzUMkFkyN3wONaxaJahqCx-Udhu8b6RNBhaTw0kg6Uj5QTacF79CtC2T-prO7uO68sOQkDIYQgQYQ9PsYLHhL-gC1fMY4b0wvALizOg98q7nSDU2chyXtLgzvtu/s1600/IMG_3427.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a>smooth
and cool Madrona bark, <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHFFsxUf2k0RJAQuuAd8YTnzCyiakhJqil0i7yTYIRQCw4vtqPAhl9hNplNn9rkdC5NuuIshyVnHSuTuJDmPy5qUJtL9gO3ZTzMym-Fq1SdVLIdd1iRCe3lPYic0e2684w4NhnihaVH_iI/s1600/IMG_2817.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHFFsxUf2k0RJAQuuAd8YTnzCyiakhJqil0i7yTYIRQCw4vtqPAhl9hNplNn9rkdC5NuuIshyVnHSuTuJDmPy5qUJtL9gO3ZTzMym-Fq1SdVLIdd1iRCe3lPYic0e2684w4NhnihaVH_iI/s200/IMG_2817.JPG" width="200" /></a>and the raised letters of the memorial to homesteaders Lew
and Tib Dodd. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnvh6fOKOITgYIt4DXhzWL6c4Jos0umjr0Zgr6WQCQ-wZQUU4mbJ3SOOzcC3sJHJBxFqzDp5QtRAbv7aZmK1rY_8oA-8vkG6yykIN3ifsP-0vULdrrOJaCCrWfDXFcBaM4lf97LSBUAFsn/s1600/IMG_3465.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnvh6fOKOITgYIt4DXhzWL6c4Jos0umjr0Zgr6WQCQ-wZQUU4mbJ3SOOzcC3sJHJBxFqzDp5QtRAbv7aZmK1rY_8oA-8vkG6yykIN3ifsP-0vULdrrOJaCCrWfDXFcBaM4lf97LSBUAFsn/s400/IMG_3465.JPG" width="400" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnvh6fOKOITgYIt4DXhzWL6c4Jos0umjr0Zgr6WQCQ-wZQUU4mbJ3SOOzcC3sJHJBxFqzDp5QtRAbv7aZmK1rY_8oA-8vkG6yykIN3ifsP-0vULdrrOJaCCrWfDXFcBaM4lf97LSBUAFsn/s1600/IMG_3465.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a>I think that was when I first glimpsed the complex character of
this small island. Only 11 acres,
The Nature Conservancy's preserve manages to feel like an entire world, existing almost out of time in the
middle of the San Juan Islands. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_EOznzUESQU0kQtfN-K1PFnauklx3bBN5oaqrvpXZRJ5AJIrXZA4cdZInf8nwJ3cddYvgtwyRIEDpWB9J8L80ShnLadOlVRkUAnBFOHsHYsd3djYCN0R-3R50OvB9g1zQBTKshxBKm5qw/s1600/IMG_3446.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihnSHSWuBPiuSKOA-CjXgOkgVEZOJNqQQVYoSCG9_At2sTHniQw6GN2Rsssw7N8ne1RqR6NYJuM2lO_ZUXvsHt8bSgQd482ft6KZwuaFqy8UHhjP9Us_bQBZs-uPoEPAf3JAUH-hTSFViq/s1600/IMG_2878.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihnSHSWuBPiuSKOA-CjXgOkgVEZOJNqQQVYoSCG9_At2sTHniQw6GN2Rsssw7N8ne1RqR6NYJuM2lO_ZUXvsHt8bSgQd482ft6KZwuaFqy8UHhjP9Us_bQBZs-uPoEPAf3JAUH-hTSFViq/s320/IMG_2878.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLng4cklHGUeZ53iZLSrTCEPQyRWTXxe6kYPHixz8cY0_SAaC_XYltd6XL4OjI8fHqaBTmYVdOEAUj7yYpzWVTHXHrWufBMHOyfScZl8l8xGIna7nNFbwN7smhsdEJ8Zf3yqNavODtnzRG/s1600/IMG_2834.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>I didn’t go back for years. When I did, I was in charge of
my first group of Beach Watchers <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLng4cklHGUeZ53iZLSrTCEPQyRWTXxe6kYPHixz8cY0_SAaC_XYltd6XL4OjI8fHqaBTmYVdOEAUj7yYpzWVTHXHrWufBMHOyfScZl8l8xGIna7nNFbwN7smhsdEJ8Zf3yqNavODtnzRG/s1600/IMG_2834.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLng4cklHGUeZ53iZLSrTCEPQyRWTXxe6kYPHixz8cY0_SAaC_XYltd6XL4OjI8fHqaBTmYVdOEAUj7yYpzWVTHXHrWufBMHOyfScZl8l8xGIna7nNFbwN7smhsdEJ8Zf3yqNavODtnzRG/s1600/IMG_2834.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLng4cklHGUeZ53iZLSrTCEPQyRWTXxe6kYPHixz8cY0_SAaC_XYltd6XL4OjI8fHqaBTmYVdOEAUj7yYpzWVTHXHrWufBMHOyfScZl8l8xGIna7nNFbwN7smhsdEJ8Zf3yqNavODtnzRG/s320/IMG_2834.JPG" width="320" /></a>and busy with conversations and logistics
during nearly all of the intense training period.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg59pyI2BXNGin8ZQtZiflYbyw61KiPRiY3mNLibT0N_QuYIjEG9MbIR4Ayg748cvwVEYLU3kBB-Jex1yJQHEC_mIDMFuu7bVR2yK1fxAJbFq_4h9oTwlm75S4U4bLmpKMp8ErlMY7WJwvc/s1600/IMG_2459.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
That visit to Yellow almost ended with me spending all my
time in the cabin, <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijdOBrKdGQP9ZnoeGr24XR2ycHmPLu24mhItFGLUh3pS-pG-02frhILH9iU5M367cFrj4sNAtCO90J8UeJAkukLbl_R0j-TJ7k1OAr6W1Ctv00ES4ilgJTQ7BqAs-yogCgtcuI_hEG-Ah6/s1600/IMG_3443.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijdOBrKdGQP9ZnoeGr24XR2ycHmPLu24mhItFGLUh3pS-pG-02frhILH9iU5M367cFrj4sNAtCO90J8UeJAkukLbl_R0j-TJ7k1OAr6W1Ctv00ES4ilgJTQ7BqAs-yogCgtcuI_hEG-Ah6/s320/IMG_3443.JPG" width="320" /></a>talking and planning. At the last minute, I dashed out,
alone and well behind the guided group. I was astonished at the power of the
island, and the incredible sense of being somewhere far away, though I was in
familiar territory between San Juan
and Orcas islands. The wind was blowing hard and the taste of wild was
in the air. I didn’t forget that stolen moment in the 5 visits I have had
since. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg59pyI2BXNGin8ZQtZiflYbyw61KiPRiY3mNLibT0N_QuYIjEG9MbIR4Ayg748cvwVEYLU3kBB-Jex1yJQHEC_mIDMFuu7bVR2yK1fxAJbFq_4h9oTwlm75S4U4bLmpKMp8ErlMY7WJwvc/s1600/IMG_2459.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg59pyI2BXNGin8ZQtZiflYbyw61KiPRiY3mNLibT0N_QuYIjEG9MbIR4Ayg748cvwVEYLU3kBB-Jex1yJQHEC_mIDMFuu7bVR2yK1fxAJbFq_4h9oTwlm75S4U4bLmpKMp8ErlMY7WJwvc/s320/IMG_2459.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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It was a great honor to go back to Yellow recently, in the
company of my friend, the caretaker of this Nature Conservancy gem, Phil Green,
along with composer and blogger Alex Shapiro and her partner <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3xLCJU4vfyugcEg0TiYkxs2rrPX1dCfU9_wzKd2DTrFByVmz7KZULHNJHAZfsrhzLXI97XHxhd4PJWvZwxxCj6bzDJt_fFkNK1bJ2zb33AZns97nnEByzcZIG76LOmlGU9xcRs4QPDr7q/s1600/IMG_3413.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3xLCJU4vfyugcEg0TiYkxs2rrPX1dCfU9_wzKd2DTrFByVmz7KZULHNJHAZfsrhzLXI97XHxhd4PJWvZwxxCj6bzDJt_fFkNK1bJ2zb33AZns97nnEByzcZIG76LOmlGU9xcRs4QPDr7q/s320/IMG_3413.JPG" width="320" /></a>Dan, and
naturalist/author and blogger Monika Wieland and Keith. Note the common theme
of blogger. Alex is an amazing composer and her blog about life in the San Juan
Islands is a joy to read <a href="http://www.alexshapiro.org/blog/">http://www.alexshapiro.org/blog/</a>. Monika is an incredible photographer <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiquLSpWXHp-3IcMIrbE7DP8nB4dVOBb9O0ecAHi3NQxRtpKULBN_wlqdp6uyxo0HGJfSQe6I5O8DNKhB3Zc97LdxQmmDg_myNID9GDw_9sBCxAfZzgNiHf-FTNQ_F7NOvF4okMPVCS9wV6/s1600/IMG_3426.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiquLSpWXHp-3IcMIrbE7DP8nB4dVOBb9O0ecAHi3NQxRtpKULBN_wlqdp6uyxo0HGJfSQe6I5O8DNKhB3Zc97LdxQmmDg_myNID9GDw_9sBCxAfZzgNiHf-FTNQ_F7NOvF4okMPVCS9wV6/s200/IMG_3426.JPG" width="200" /></a>and naturalist who is building quite a compendium of local knowledge about life in and around
the Salish Sea <a href="http://www.orcawatcher.com/">http://www.orcawatcher.com/</a>. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnjbtOmPbaDy8P_NcbFit2rFdokpCPT96GONtm11ECHZCc83MartXALpcXmhyphenhyphenlHWLYGn9hIn2VXHPBboiQQ5blZYAzGzjItsoAN1X8cD00EjUuFHxB3pfD_sLf8Tb9UaBVLmRqeHJbxY-N/s1600/IMG_2844.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="171" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnjbtOmPbaDy8P_NcbFit2rFdokpCPT96GONtm11ECHZCc83MartXALpcXmhyphenhyphenlHWLYGn9hIn2VXHPBboiQQ5blZYAzGzjItsoAN1X8cD00EjUuFHxB3pfD_sLf8Tb9UaBVLmRqeHJbxY-N/s200/IMG_2844.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oh yeah,and then there's me...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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From Yellow Island, I know what a San Juan prairie looks
like. Perhaps “prairie” is not the
best name… It might conjure up
rolling fields of grass. But the rich and amazing prairie of Yellow Island is
not that at all. It is a fragile remnant of what much of the islands used to
look like, thanks to the Native American practice of burning. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd8B3nfxY1E62nyzGS-P8tlBMwtjdv5-du6xXBpIQ4FhOAHxkOH8H1q4DjmwGsZt7ljCBPehjk2ACoujSTHNJ9bbuzT-abtN0JhthFyDof9Lshq1sweEspgMgyJyMkqfNFSk1yL5h7874W/s1600/IMG_2458.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd8B3nfxY1E62nyzGS-P8tlBMwtjdv5-du6xXBpIQ4FhOAHxkOH8H1q4DjmwGsZt7ljCBPehjk2ACoujSTHNJ9bbuzT-abtN0JhthFyDof9Lshq1sweEspgMgyJyMkqfNFSk1yL5h7874W/s320/IMG_2458.JPG" width="320" /></a>It is also a place that has been
carefully managed to keep away invasive species, guiding and educating visitors
so that careless behavior doesn’t destroy the delicate seasonal pageant of an
intricate ecosystem . What a remarkable difference. </div>
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On this, my 7<sup>th</sup> trip to Yellow, I thought back to
what our blind explorer experienced. It was also the first time I had taken in quite a few to be
still. Instead of shepherding anyone around and talking, I laid on my back in
the middle of the path and listened to the heartbeat of the island. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKhmP8IkT5EBjs3nStVJhx2PRYrsIDPUAzAzhi-mK9Erug-tZafPMiWBnMaFo5iJvVREHflUJnpHLxfwTZlwHqvmBUfruO6WwyzR4p4-_tC2ZFZAUHdkrYb3KIRFggyHKpkAHPhgLB6KAJ/s1600/IMG_3469.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKhmP8IkT5EBjs3nStVJhx2PRYrsIDPUAzAzhi-mK9Erug-tZafPMiWBnMaFo5iJvVREHflUJnpHLxfwTZlwHqvmBUfruO6WwyzR4p4-_tC2ZFZAUHdkrYb3KIRFggyHKpkAHPhgLB6KAJ/s320/IMG_3469.JPG" width="320" /></a>It is a
place of sound. In constant motion, harbor seals stirred, flapping flippers,
grunting, and splashing. The sweet
song of white crowned sparrow floated over the air, interspersed with the
whirring wing whistle of the rufous hummingbird. </div>
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When I stopped again in the north side of the island, the
low buzzing of the orange-rumped or black tailed bumble bee (<span class="st">Bombus
melanopygus), filled the space around me. </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwGtLJXKkI722isMU8ptHtpTmLEe4NPocu4ydUaS6pNbNCBtDsZiE68NnjPKZFAXB3eoDenAN9WPI8kX0rxlt8lZvysTEGl3QB5nrRKq4tUGC7U5kCuCWUrpFcoxzHcvQDtwRj3hzoZ4F1/s1600/IMG_3458.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwGtLJXKkI722isMU8ptHtpTmLEe4NPocu4ydUaS6pNbNCBtDsZiE68NnjPKZFAXB3eoDenAN9WPI8kX0rxlt8lZvysTEGl3QB5nrRKq4tUGC7U5kCuCWUrpFcoxzHcvQDtwRj3hzoZ4F1/s320/IMG_3458.jpg" width="240" /></a><span class="st">The </span>western buttercups that gave the island its name
were dominant, a yellow canvas dotted with the blue of camas and the bronzed
tones of Chocolate lily. It was abundantly clear to me what a miracle was right
before me: the collaboration of native flowers and native pollinators. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicNqtxhhdA3mEYqceWM0XBSfmJHK6mr5z6L91irFxdKs6yPm-EMS7Zc7jgCNMoFZKc0ogRagDGgq0OvWNHgV9PXTufSGK3Am5wvA_ZX_dPA8DGT3Ix3CxTNdgP_Jolky4peqrMVlSxfM3-/s1600/IMG_3451.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicNqtxhhdA3mEYqceWM0XBSfmJHK6mr5z6L91irFxdKs6yPm-EMS7Zc7jgCNMoFZKc0ogRagDGgq0OvWNHgV9PXTufSGK3Am5wvA_ZX_dPA8DGT3Ix3CxTNdgP_Jolky4peqrMVlSxfM3-/s320/IMG_3451.jpg" width="240" /></a>I was listening to the sound of life—one
that has been threatened nearly to extinction in many other places. It brought
forth a favorite quote by <i><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-style: normal;">one of my
heroes, John Muir:</span></i><i><span style="font-family: Cambria;"> </span></i>“Everybody needs
beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in where nature may heal
and cheer and give strength to the body and soul.” </div>
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Yellow Island is that kind of place. I give gratitude to all that conspired
to allow me a day to once again delight in its beauty. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5h8_Dwk6TY9MhyaG0Xne9o5n5_qMMBsbuAJR9jEsjoJ26dAdLUqTv71Muy0OBySt5dSYDEuTzryiT2SBnX3RVgkQRLhVbDAFkDozYesVlYzO0Y5UT5Xu80XP8iq_WWn9CVGdc3wwzliye/s1600/IMG_3478.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5h8_Dwk6TY9MhyaG0Xne9o5n5_qMMBsbuAJR9jEsjoJ26dAdLUqTv71Muy0OBySt5dSYDEuTzryiT2SBnX3RVgkQRLhVbDAFkDozYesVlYzO0Y5UT5Xu80XP8iq_WWn9CVGdc3wwzliye/s320/IMG_3478.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5h8_Dwk6TY9MhyaG0Xne9o5n5_qMMBsbuAJR9jEsjoJ26dAdLUqTv71Muy0OBySt5dSYDEuTzryiT2SBnX3RVgkQRLhVbDAFkDozYesVlYzO0Y5UT5Xu80XP8iq_WWn9CVGdc3wwzliye/s1600/IMG_3478.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5h8_Dwk6TY9MhyaG0Xne9o5n5_qMMBsbuAJR9jEsjoJ26dAdLUqTv71Muy0OBySt5dSYDEuTzryiT2SBnX3RVgkQRLhVbDAFkDozYesVlYzO0Y5UT5Xu80XP8iq_WWn9CVGdc3wwzliye/s1600/IMG_3478.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRoQM3s_Pm9KPshatx4xjewoDHWCyagvNS8wODYnAd3vSZuXqFICQwY5ved-wXnKKhvH7oK33twp-8Njg8C9_PFge9Ey-U8J1Hjtb876x40g-DJ1ai0_VeJfHJ6spDTlyGFBE9Kpdb10pA/s1600/IMG_3412.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRoQM3s_Pm9KPshatx4xjewoDHWCyagvNS8wODYnAd3vSZuXqFICQwY5ved-wXnKKhvH7oK33twp-8Njg8C9_PFge9Ey-U8J1Hjtb876x40g-DJ1ai0_VeJfHJ6spDTlyGFBE9Kpdb10pA/s320/IMG_3412.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqlJjyuhh0R8E55_htMZRo6eFNzLXPewSRLThvgPglBum9oTukrWZco9ffhFVVa1ZYU-aL6ZelgAS3fLT1MdQNCYNyh9xorHApXNuJqJD7GJwpVyMCVFrFNouXeR3Jtz8JnQtLAdkZX7W1/s1600/IMG_3484.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
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<br /></div>Shann Westonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04630862230126646431noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8516070255106708794.post-84447566183506526702012-04-29T16:18:00.001-07:002012-04-29T16:21:22.997-07:00A Sense of Place Needs Presence<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRsNWE8FhM52qKwMHGHmK5kPm2rzsY2IYeQKtq8XGAO_R5dotPN5MkU9Zx1TPAs3ACodd58kytpFsgVDtHqBqONhyphenhyphen9C0ef-OnssANs_TM6-zkCBrvdO1vPXG2c0HiinxaL_ilB4Awg6EtM/s1600/Green+River.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRsNWE8FhM52qKwMHGHmK5kPm2rzsY2IYeQKtq8XGAO_R5dotPN5MkU9Zx1TPAs3ACodd58kytpFsgVDtHqBqONhyphenhyphen9C0ef-OnssANs_TM6-zkCBrvdO1vPXG2c0HiinxaL_ilB4Awg6EtM/s1600/Green+River.jpg" /></a></div>
Or maybe it doesn't for everybody. But I had to go all the way to the Green River in Utah to remember why a sense of place is even important. After 7 days in the Canyonlands, floating at river speed, my head and
heart gradually aligned themselves to the landscape. I slowed down and
time became all of one piece. <br />
<br />
Now I am back and looking at the same face of Infinity I did with those
ancient rocks, the Salish Sea itself. And without vacation, without a
canoe and a reason to float, I am trying to breathe back the feeling of
presence that filled me on our float trip.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjys28-mipOSrENSABh-APMSK4r9oEmgW9dJ_hMxKvU_3B-G4SlvI3ivtVXQg9wkCvO-BpcRe9_7whIS1JjuE5leMyDvSFkJsfTdAGM4CBEe_mS5HhyphenhyphenkzViyoiEOI2YLn2Kd6ZgdPgCfpeV/s1600/IMG_3706.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjys28-mipOSrENSABh-APMSK4r9oEmgW9dJ_hMxKvU_3B-G4SlvI3ivtVXQg9wkCvO-BpcRe9_7whIS1JjuE5leMyDvSFkJsfTdAGM4CBEe_mS5HhyphenhyphenkzViyoiEOI2YLn2Kd6ZgdPgCfpeV/s320/IMG_3706.JPG" width="320" /></a>People often think island life is quiet and perhaps full of solitude. That is no doubt true for many people. But not for me. My life here is fragmented between social engagements, trying to stay fit, trying to eat local and do the right thing, trying to keep our Grange alive, connecting with family and friends, and of course, the one that always falls through the cracks, nurturing creativity. <br />
<br />When I first moved here, I remember having the feeling of being on a boat. Our rock island, completely surrounded by sea water. I could feel the tides move, and sensed the mysterious and miraculous moods of this amazing ecosystem. Now I remind myself how lucky I am to live here but so many things interfere with really feeling that. The language of Nature is so very different from the frenetic words and actions of humans. I know what I need to do. It is profoundly simple and one of the most difficult things I can imagine. Slow down. I don't need to be in charge of the world. I do need to feel, and be in, its wonder. <br />
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<br />Shann Westonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04630862230126646431noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8516070255106708794.post-25029279018796439762012-02-03T10:00:00.000-08:002012-02-03T16:59:10.307-08:00Wolf Trees, Medicinal Yews and Winter Cottonwoods<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht5DMJWLEU6o7XYLGgLCL6eTIKQmi7LJ91d4Vq7igCmDM2fcbg1mLv3-QO1YD2wWhgca9a9kaEKD170qmNJk3IW5JSGR4wOSn9SaJ9gp7fvu3UfoWdk-t_hts5KM-K280BY3AX78lfm0NQ/s1600/IMG_2918.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht5DMJWLEU6o7XYLGgLCL6eTIKQmi7LJ91d4Vq7igCmDM2fcbg1mLv3-QO1YD2wWhgca9a9kaEKD170qmNJk3IW5JSGR4wOSn9SaJ9gp7fvu3UfoWdk-t_hts5KM-K280BY3AX78lfm0NQ/s320/IMG_2918.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Octopus Tree</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">Wolf Trees</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">The simplest definition of a wolf tree is as follows: a </span></b><span class="ssens">very large forest tree that has a wide-spreading
crown and inhibits or prevents the growth of smaller trees around it. Having said that, there is so much more to the amazing beauty and complexity of these enormous beings. </span></span></div>
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"And yes, all these years later, there’s still something beautiful in
these gnarled old forms. There is no symmetry, no youthfulness, but
there is a sense of history and mystery, of stories from another time
and stories yet to be told. These charismatic old trees witnessed the
return of the forest. They remind us that the story of this landscape,
and the animals on it, is still unfolding."<br />
From <i>A Place for Wolf Trees. </i><br />
<br />
For a great article on the value of wolf trees and some amazing photos of northeastern wolf trees, check out this link to <a href="http://northernwoodlands.org/articles/article/a-place-for-wolf-trees">A Place For Wolf Trees</a>. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3CE7ME20tz4mUFwKLNqQP4dNPRrpOmmamHpp9mG1RSaS4fwDLZcVeqUWyCVbpig93MYFChjM_dNmxJiIenorQ3JcaJVDaHyizvL7w1NcwrzX4I35J17ug1nfI5TAkdjeHNZ6_DgnrDD8a/s1600/IMG_2911.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3CE7ME20tz4mUFwKLNqQP4dNPRrpOmmamHpp9mG1RSaS4fwDLZcVeqUWyCVbpig93MYFChjM_dNmxJiIenorQ3JcaJVDaHyizvL7w1NcwrzX4I35J17ug1nfI5TAkdjeHNZ6_DgnrDD8a/s320/IMG_2911.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Raccoon Tree (see them peeking out?)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9LUC2ioG2W2zurWw4dbMiFzqLFpRN-g0vyiGQz4DYCOT3Xzk0TQXWXQwzZOoZRClkA5j5_ZQrM8uwI8ByR0O4eiHW9ZJmqmxbyy1QysB07hRggFoocMTbbZXXPDpfcmpMfmYLDVpcOUhA/s1600/IMG_2912.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9LUC2ioG2W2zurWw4dbMiFzqLFpRN-g0vyiGQz4DYCOT3Xzk0TQXWXQwzZOoZRClkA5j5_ZQrM8uwI8ByR0O4eiHW9ZJmqmxbyy1QysB07hRggFoocMTbbZXXPDpfcmpMfmYLDVpcOUhA/s400/IMG_2912.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">See them now?</td></tr>
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The study in the article above found that wolf trees provide old growth features in a young forest and provided excellent wildlife value. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgWPk4VEqvIgAn7ed_DWumyMLZg4JDj6v4bzdho5ZLEnEqGZxWdugbxQwJFIuoDi9DtTngPNkgNu0zgkbiqOmnoFSoJ9bbOj7PyZSEMEliqIaF9xJzHT3fGKYvGXesWsf1s5xAsrVBR8hI/s1600/IMG_2886.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgWPk4VEqvIgAn7ed_DWumyMLZg4JDj6v4bzdho5ZLEnEqGZxWdugbxQwJFIuoDi9DtTngPNkgNu0zgkbiqOmnoFSoJ9bbOj7PyZSEMEliqIaF9xJzHT3fGKYvGXesWsf1s5xAsrVBR8hI/s400/IMG_2886.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Forest highways</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLifiaexzULzz4pCNU75CavCCRyPWK1k6hpoliKz2j7srdY4goI-GUlq35xmqbpRj2zHMJWk5MjM1bW1i8RLUdinbGaJtp9NYBa6241hyphenhyphenjzixBxhrqyLmdXLl6IAH2tiGcN3KHFfZt7Pb_/s1600/IMG_2898.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLifiaexzULzz4pCNU75CavCCRyPWK1k6hpoliKz2j7srdY4goI-GUlq35xmqbpRj2zHMJWk5MjM1bW1i8RLUdinbGaJtp9NYBa6241hyphenhyphenjzixBxhrqyLmdXLl6IAH2tiGcN3KHFfZt7Pb_/s400/IMG_2898.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Doug's Tree</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The Pacific Yew Tree </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">It is so easy to walk by it. I have, many times. But this spring, I plan to harvest the growing tips and really value this medicinal tree that grows side by side with more captivating trees. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">"The Pacific Yew tree (Taxus brevifolia), is found exclusively in
the Pacific Northwest region of the United States ( Montana , Idaho , Oregon
and Washington ). Pacific Yew Tree (Taxus Brevifolia) contains taxanes,
naturally occurring compounds scientifically proven to suppress abnormal cell
growth and invigorate the immune system. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Taxol is one of the most promising of more than 120,000 plant
compounds tested for anti-cancer properties. Research
shows that the Pacific Yew (Taxus brevifolia) is a rich source of beneficial
phyto-chemicals (plant compounds and phytosterols) that are known to be
health-promoting. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvBx7FLG_5Z1w_BP5EtvIzjMZQHluOF-8oP8GkAg0tOZ0NGNVT07LeKKLkVwi69kbFlYnT9BD4RuhtJu5PGeAwzgvcdXPOivbMcWL2vq-ITC2dMTLK_Ohnhd0Z9wsmDd5cMczO2_Tl12XG/s1600/IMG_2824.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvBx7FLG_5Z1w_BP5EtvIzjMZQHluOF-8oP8GkAg0tOZ0NGNVT07LeKKLkVwi69kbFlYnT9BD4RuhtJu5PGeAwzgvcdXPOivbMcWL2vq-ITC2dMTLK_Ohnhd0Z9wsmDd5cMczO2_Tl12XG/s400/IMG_2824.jpg" width="300" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Yew Tree</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">These constituents are concentrated in the branch tips during the
growing season which is the harvesting period. Compounds include; taxanes (also
known as diterpenes), which are unique to the Pacific Yew tree, lignans
(lariciresinol and taxiresinol), which have been found to exert significant
antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral and anti-inflammatory activities,
flavonoids (quercitin, rhamnetin, sciadopitysin), recognized for
anti-inflammatory, anti-allergenic, antiviral and antibacterial properties. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">The ancient Pacific Yew tree was a valuable source of traditional
medicine for Native Americans and pioneers of the Pacific Northwest . Medicines
were made from various parts of the Yew tree and included tea, made from leaves
and bark." Information from: </span><a href="http://www.yohimbebark.net/immune.html">http://www.yohimbebark.net/immune.html</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Winter Cottonwoods </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">On another note, this last summer, I was captivated by the floating cotton of the Fairbanks cottonwoods. It was truly magical. This January, I took a trip to visit my 88 year old and failing mom in Albuquerque. It was a lonely and taxing trip. But my eye was repeatedly delighted by the elegance of the winter cottonwoods. The southwestern colors and the negative spaces of these gorgeous trees gave me beauty to b</span>alance the stuffy air of the assisted living home. I am in gratitude for their existence on this planet. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvw_eQH50DMBJ8RwRpdWwoo5mBPoS4rIE4rSjbcugbulWgfm3RkA8pE3FIVXVWh8QL9Lr_0FMlubW6DAxd0OUBAogNHZYtuu2YmgEQ7Qm8Ayo5FUX-FXZrfBwR8-gWmpv9-flVJ-wLUPsy/s1600/wintercottonwood" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvw_eQH50DMBJ8RwRpdWwoo5mBPoS4rIE4rSjbcugbulWgfm3RkA8pE3FIVXVWh8QL9Lr_0FMlubW6DAxd0OUBAogNHZYtuu2YmgEQ7Qm8Ayo5FUX-FXZrfBwR8-gWmpv9-flVJ-wLUPsy/s400/wintercottonwood" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br />Shann Westonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04630862230126646431noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8516070255106708794.post-27200020706613584502012-01-13T16:03:00.000-08:002012-01-13T17:56:32.899-08:00There's Real Poetry in the Real World<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM2V7C0Ra4_ZHF4hPfSwaYFMf0uSzXy1dP5oJXz-bJOhDy8-TvtQOYHC9t9TNawe_h521L-HcixwIbykqnzXZiRk8YvRjCzrABQ08O-a8l1FchVJ5DycQn_aahT0RF6KqUM9hJuNUpIyfg/s1600/IMG_2776.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM2V7C0Ra4_ZHF4hPfSwaYFMf0uSzXy1dP5oJXz-bJOhDy8-TvtQOYHC9t9TNawe_h521L-HcixwIbykqnzXZiRk8YvRjCzrABQ08O-a8l1FchVJ5DycQn_aahT0RF6KqUM9hJuNUpIyfg/s320/IMG_2776.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two-Pronged Cedar</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cedfir</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8TNhtpdad9aq4QZUDE_ePWhsXq1_R-YiHEO-HsRwktPtAGbUB71mazG76GmOL4HRyOTYTy4Yr0A4KpYDYu6PBp7Un6CneDgpzBgOpLUZiWrfutNEGhmdpLeL0Pm7tm7UE8skfyJUCiuBM/s1600/IMG_2786.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8TNhtpdad9aq4QZUDE_ePWhsXq1_R-YiHEO-HsRwktPtAGbUB71mazG76GmOL4HRyOTYTy4Yr0A4KpYDYu6PBp7Un6CneDgpzBgOpLUZiWrfutNEGhmdpLeL0Pm7tm7UE8skfyJUCiuBM/s320/IMG_2786.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Woodpecker's Delight</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elder</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Briggs Lake</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scar</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Burned out--alive and well</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nursery Tree</td></tr>
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<br />Shann Westonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04630862230126646431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8516070255106708794.post-34952743964815374002012-01-11T16:26:00.000-08:002012-01-11T16:32:46.913-08:00Heritage Trees Project Takes Root<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b><span style="font-size: 14.5pt;">Heritage Trees: An Introduction</span></b></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Heritage
trees are individual trees that are especially valued for their great size and
age, or for some particular
historical or cultural significance. In many parts of the world, heritage trees
have been identified,
formally recognized, and conserved as part of the natural and cultural heritage
of a country
or culture. This growing recognition of heritage trees is timely as trees of
great stature and
age, in particular, are vanishing around the
world. (From Heritage Trees of Fiji, one of many such projects around the world). This the first of many posts about the Heritage Trees of San Juan County. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wise Woman Tree</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset Wolf Tree </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wolf Sprouts From Rock </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wolf Sprouts From Rock</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wolf Sprouts From Rock</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkX5pEwTjj4N84izrFnxVFE36fQBXcU6IvrqruEKNBGrXQlM2gleke_Q92QGJJaRjZ7m8vpvIkxZxveZZS7ArhL99lVmko_Jqk2mTHgPw46ybtvB4buk3J-vRvY0G8oaAR47yc6X1Nrv8g/s1600/IMG_2728.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkX5pEwTjj4N84izrFnxVFE36fQBXcU6IvrqruEKNBGrXQlM2gleke_Q92QGJJaRjZ7m8vpvIkxZxveZZS7ArhL99lVmko_Jqk2mTHgPw46ybtvB4buk3J-vRvY0G8oaAR47yc6X1Nrv8g/s320/IMG_2728.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Open Heart Madrona</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeDr3zoAEPgv2Y4OQaMgYUaWftPP6q2fBYcr3_pgYwsjmmTL6BetUEgHwrQQaBuMirEu7Ltwppy_YUTiOqvf5Qtwm4D2HkcyKWqsjbnGkkahUuzI8TuOMCm8_GcuMnwX8sL44jqhfuKdYf/s1600/IMG_2736.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeDr3zoAEPgv2Y4OQaMgYUaWftPP6q2fBYcr3_pgYwsjmmTL6BetUEgHwrQQaBuMirEu7Ltwppy_YUTiOqvf5Qtwm4D2HkcyKWqsjbnGkkahUuzI8TuOMCm8_GcuMnwX8sL44jqhfuKdYf/s320/IMG_2736.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We Share the Same Root Madronas</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUS50eFo5PjY2rWFJ71d_-hHBoIilZK92ZmbFmLQtFyOqWr0bV98OzbtTgbXnszbTxMBz1Y7ICUBQu7XbLGNMMu4GgE9F1SO_Se7ZqOA879xPgWS4brnyVX-PlCTLYKolVfOazGVMkz1at/s1600/IMG_2738.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUS50eFo5PjY2rWFJ71d_-hHBoIilZK92ZmbFmLQtFyOqWr0bV98OzbtTgbXnszbTxMBz1Y7ICUBQu7XbLGNMMu4GgE9F1SO_Se7ZqOA879xPgWS4brnyVX-PlCTLYKolVfOazGVMkz1at/s320/IMG_2738.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Loving Madrona</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5404eLa-tX_1KMLdKWe-bhcqlslFnBDBnVScOpEEIzxuzJrGleZmckRfIyXk6i28DNVIaRHo1Leb4gh0lfs87XS3vYbq6kT9Gv5nmgQG29kBGolVgvp2Ye310y_wTkr0DR31mtZHDXsT4/s1600/IMG_2742.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5404eLa-tX_1KMLdKWe-bhcqlslFnBDBnVScOpEEIzxuzJrGleZmckRfIyXk6i28DNVIaRHo1Leb4gh0lfs87XS3vYbq6kT9Gv5nmgQG29kBGolVgvp2Ye310y_wTkr0DR31mtZHDXsT4/s320/IMG_2742.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Loving Madrona</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNoIqZaGtD7MmvkdPxCLxl56YdPYMWU5OSJ7aN_ntcjtdth4CYwjDBAQCALUyXIDUiNX5XAMpMvhjQLyh0jellizMw_67_0Wplqii9wZRsW_29TM3U-sjrs9317ZMYfPYPVGoF5w1AEipH/s1600/IMG_2744.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNoIqZaGtD7MmvkdPxCLxl56YdPYMWU5OSJ7aN_ntcjtdth4CYwjDBAQCALUyXIDUiNX5XAMpMvhjQLyh0jellizMw_67_0Wplqii9wZRsW_29TM3U-sjrs9317ZMYfPYPVGoF5w1AEipH/s320/IMG_2744.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wolf Tree Family</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvJKwfpHdjVbi9z50lL9SY5IrZW3eN7L19mt6-dJYl7d8OS5j8Oz4Q6R8YKyoXXsNsEmrkzidQuAChB-HvrGeUhn57LMK41EeQUpEZlDAdTSmYMf2fRC-ge1JGBiNyA-gfaUpH8kMPYEUy/s1600/IMG_2747.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvJKwfpHdjVbi9z50lL9SY5IrZW3eN7L19mt6-dJYl7d8OS5j8Oz4Q6R8YKyoXXsNsEmrkzidQuAChB-HvrGeUhn57LMK41EeQUpEZlDAdTSmYMf2fRC-ge1JGBiNyA-gfaUpH8kMPYEUy/s320/IMG_2747.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shining Madrona</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS4Xv015izYFfKgnl0_pdenAloxDFoTzIOg0wwO77YVWEtupti4qkUaZs428ADFkgd3xzVwYYCywK-58ZU0AoYvM5oLza36NfRhJUxtgUjHsPElaJJKoqJvcb4kg_DTQxVNhhsvuTxaEbV/s1600/IMG_2753.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS4Xv015izYFfKgnl0_pdenAloxDFoTzIOg0wwO77YVWEtupti4qkUaZs428ADFkgd3xzVwYYCywK-58ZU0AoYvM5oLza36NfRhJUxtgUjHsPElaJJKoqJvcb4kg_DTQxVNhhsvuTxaEbV/s320/IMG_2753.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shining Madrona2</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRHKAh3Zk56YbwX0jBqxNCx6g_Y4NtMN9b29MAZ6zctXhIbbRicdJGUDlIz3-izBNnrX7tNX1kFN07jp7eoKcbxly0Q-T0IZ2rKDgir4Ub0LKzIhnLsQ2gduzxuOlpiefsb0WVFuRnH7Zc/s1600/IMG_2758.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRHKAh3Zk56YbwX0jBqxNCx6g_Y4NtMN9b29MAZ6zctXhIbbRicdJGUDlIz3-izBNnrX7tNX1kFN07jp7eoKcbxly0Q-T0IZ2rKDgir4Ub0LKzIhnLsQ2gduzxuOlpiefsb0WVFuRnH7Zc/s320/IMG_2758.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shining Madrona3</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuvCJt3mEy-HY-J-o-7y0qEg7J-RBVJ6-oqiEEG0wntIDEwvElbPBmmHNHi4SANDeFTwXboMYlfi1TbBxpE1IdSCVFS5-OERePNTNiTgvi5N42XABkxz2Uk_PqXArU74mDAuOc9Q4_ZSsV/s1600/IMG_2761.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuvCJt3mEy-HY-J-o-7y0qEg7J-RBVJ6-oqiEEG0wntIDEwvElbPBmmHNHi4SANDeFTwXboMYlfi1TbBxpE1IdSCVFS5-OERePNTNiTgvi5N42XABkxz2Uk_PqXArU74mDAuOc9Q4_ZSsV/s320/IMG_2761.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shining Madrona Base</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0IlAeBDklbyYkEsxIPa80DjNf83o9p-C2Bmx1zbvb896yHd078BbQYsGkDY-6X05S7eX-JcE5sDe1Q0mWPil_lsb0igIJfi-B01Ar4T08giBtzyvvfxCuIBClWt4iqX78d0Xlu9fniKtD/s1600/IMG_2766.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0IlAeBDklbyYkEsxIPa80DjNf83o9p-C2Bmx1zbvb896yHd078BbQYsGkDY-6X05S7eX-JcE5sDe1Q0mWPil_lsb0igIJfi-B01Ar4T08giBtzyvvfxCuIBClWt4iqX78d0Xlu9fniKtD/s320/IMG_2766.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shining Madrona4</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Shann Westonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04630862230126646431noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8516070255106708794.post-30098531337172839532012-01-09T09:57:00.000-08:002012-01-09T09:57:56.781-08:00Symphony of Science<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9PAcreasFaLMSb95IMb8bOJdfszFn7HpgppHyflYNBgfZ-oseK2bef3wXsHqP4na_Po0fb3JmaBArLjbwRLC1fFxNtV1r1-FUeKQX8j9o8QD8_Sj7yH65ywwc_S3yBYSDpV2MRYFvTgPF/s1600/symphony+ofscience" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9PAcreasFaLMSb95IMb8bOJdfszFn7HpgppHyflYNBgfZ-oseK2bef3wXsHqP4na_Po0fb3JmaBArLjbwRLC1fFxNtV1r1-FUeKQX8j9o8QD8_Sj7yH65ywwc_S3yBYSDpV2MRYFvTgPF/s1600/symphony+ofscience" /></a></div>
I don't know why I never heard of these until last night (thank you, Facebook) but they are utterly wonderful--the more so if you know what they are talking about, at least a little and who they are. Fabulous. Quantum physics, the history of the human species and brain science, set to music. Amazing. <a href="http://symphonyofscience.com/videos.html">http://symphonyofscience.com/videos.html</a>Shann Westonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04630862230126646431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8516070255106708794.post-60865803779721408772012-01-04T08:28:00.000-08:002012-01-04T08:28:35.090-08:00Taking Root, the Vision of Wangari Maathai<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5GX6JktJZg">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5GX6JktJZg</a>Shann Westonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04630862230126646431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8516070255106708794.post-45108461109261780802012-01-04T08:17:00.000-08:002012-01-05T20:09:56.784-08:00Tree People<style>
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Here we are, just like that in 2012. I am behind on this blog because of
many things (read holidays, getting a cold from hell, family and friends), but
there has been a lot “cooking”. One
of my main intentions for this year is to plant trees, conserve trees, learn
about trees, talk about trees and to document heritage trees. I got a book I wanted for Christmas: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Like A Tree</i> by Jean Shinoda Bolen. <a href="http://www.jeanbolen.com/"> http://www.jeanbolen.com/</a> Here is a quote from the first
page.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKUs0HXYQWhxmCy2r3al4q_LLUC-sZ6xAUVD7OiZpONnedzMj893jEVJw1A-CPpbYrHK16UbnsbOQeCYDnf_FWhRok1DUVRW_EnWT_qhxd4cGyGUt3EprSrtvn8l-aNNk6aOGt-xi7VyXI/s1600/Like+a+tree" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKUs0HXYQWhxmCy2r3al4q_LLUC-sZ6xAUVD7OiZpONnedzMj893jEVJw1A-CPpbYrHK16UbnsbOQeCYDnf_FWhRok1DUVRW_EnWT_qhxd4cGyGUt3EprSrtvn8l-aNNk6aOGt-xi7VyXI/s1600/Like+a+tree" /></a></div>
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“The seed idea for this book began with the observation that
there are “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">tree</i><br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">people</i>”, and that I am one of them. A
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">tree person</i> has positive feelings for<br />
individual trees and an appreciation of trees . . . A <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">tree person</i> may have<br />
been a child who kept treasures in a tree, or had a sanctuary in one, or<br />
climbed up to see the wider worlds, a child for whom trees were places of<br />
imaginative play and retreat . . . A <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">tree person</i> met
up with Nature in<br />
childhood or as an adult, and like the four-footed ones who retreat to lick<br />
their wounds, may still heal emotional hurts by going to where trees are." </div>
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<b>Knowing something is good. Naming it gives it power. I am a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">tree person.</i></b> <b>I had so many experiences like the Bolen's story: </b></div>
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“A huge Monterey pine (once) stood in front of the house that is now my home<br />
. . . It never occurred to me that by a vote of a homeowners association<br />
this beautiful tree that was there before any houses went up and was in its<br />
prime could be cut down because a neighbor wanted it down and could mobilize<br />
the necessary votes. In trying to save my tree, I was in many conversations<br />
and meetings, and found that there is a world of difference between <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">tree<br />
people</i> and "not <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">tree people</i>.”<br />
<br />
“I think that I shall never see a poem as lovely as a tree.”<br />
Joyce Kilmer</div>
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“You see one tree, you¹ve seen them all.”<br />
Attributed to Ronald Reagan</div>
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<span style="font-family: Times;">“It's
the little things citizens do. That's what will make the difference. My little
thing is planting trees." Wangari
Maathai</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">More
on Wangari next time. </span></div>
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<br /></div>Shann Westonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04630862230126646431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8516070255106708794.post-75995838774368709552011-12-11T08:24:00.001-08:002011-12-11T11:09:33.554-08:00Deep Time<style>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVSd8UShV25DqM8SHNO5kz37ENQRUZLwTF51Pn1DBIbn3k7sVDfAbLBbHmz5ER3O0G3i9evJ1vxW_3m_vHRZBRBEGffvh4Tu_Y8hgedAzJP-QyxxeWVA2ZuJqpUbksZmAvH1s3Ax4enfJ-/s1600/Deep+Time+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVSd8UShV25DqM8SHNO5kz37ENQRUZLwTF51Pn1DBIbn3k7sVDfAbLBbHmz5ER3O0G3i9evJ1vxW_3m_vHRZBRBEGffvh4Tu_Y8hgedAzJP-QyxxeWVA2ZuJqpUbksZmAvH1s3Ax4enfJ-/s1600/Deep+Time+3.jpg" /></a></div>
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Here's what boggles my mind. I am made more tender toward the living world, more in awe, more in astonishment of its creation and more aware of a Divine Matrix or God or Goddess or whatever you want to call it...by my own consideration of "deep time". </div>
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And yet... to quote an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deep_time">article</a> on <b>Deep time</b> (the concept that the Geologic time scale is vast because the Earth is very old):</div>
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"Following the Protestant Reformation, the Genesis creation stories
were interpreted as holding that the Earth has existed for only a few
thousand years. Proponents of scientific theories which contradicted
scriptural interpretations could not only lose their academic
appointments but were legally answerable to charges of heresy and blasphemy, charges which, even as late as the 18th century in Great Britain, sometimes resulted in a death sentence."<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEWhite1896_3-0"></sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEWinchester2001_4-0"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deep_time#cite_note-FOOTNOTEWinchester2001-4"></a></sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTERepcheck2003_5-0"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deep_time#cite_note-FOOTNOTERepcheck2003-5"></a></sup></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I am glad I don't live in that time (<i>do I?---sometimes I wonder)</i> and I invite you to "grow giddy by looking so far into the abyss of time." (quoted from mathematician John Playfair in 1788). </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, back to Oaks. This gives a whole new meaning to the word "primordial". </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Start with the age of the Earth (<b>4.54 billion years</b>, more or less).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Science indicates that something, something like an algal scum formed on land <span class="nourlexpansion plainlinks" style="white-space: nowrap;">1,200</span><span class="nourlexpansion plainlinks" style="white-space: nowrap;"> million years ago. That's a lot of time with no life. But thus began the </span>The Kingdom of Plantae.<br />
<br />
Around <span class="nourlexpansion plainlinks" style="white-space: nowrap;">450 million years ago</span>, the first land plants appeared.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-0"></sup> 30 million years later, plants developed roots, leaves seeds and secondary wood. That was when forests first began to appear. I am throwing the word "million" around here. I don't know if you can take it in. I can't, not really. That's why, when we lose a species, or the structure that can support life it is such a big loss. It takes <b>millions of years</b> to evolve.<br />
<br />
Oaks live side by side with pines and firs but they are a younger branch of the tree of life. The gymnosperms, the conifers--pines and firs-- are much older, arising around the <span class="yshortcuts cs4-visible" id="lw_1323621777_2">Carboniferous</span>, about 300 million years ago.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Then at oh, about around 245–202 million years ago, the ancestors of flowering plants diverged from gymnosperms, and the first flowering plants known
to exist are from 140 million years ago.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf_sB1xixqW6FIClyuN1oG3LmIjOIWbczjvi93iZ6qEydwF1KvIPS8h5uJ2CSt28isbqRsggXugrnwP0r3srZLOUYzGeT6h3j1qbjXb07M6smuGVtbOI2jdYzY_oygBT3r3IdgNhAEcbVp/s1600/Oak+ansel+adams" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf_sB1xixqW6FIClyuN1oG3LmIjOIWbczjvi93iZ6qEydwF1KvIPS8h5uJ2CSt28isbqRsggXugrnwP0r3srZLOUYzGeT6h3j1qbjXb07M6smuGVtbOI2jdYzY_oygBT3r3IdgNhAEcbVp/s1600/Oak+ansel+adams" /></a></div>
Then here is another amazing thing. They diversified. That gave them the evolutionary advantage. The Division or Phylum Angiosperms
(flowering plants) replaced conifers as the dominant trees only around 60–100 million years ago. Only. Mere youngsters. Then they started to further complicate things, developing more specialized plant parts, pollen, leaves and more orderly arrangements of their roots, stems and leaves. Over a few more million years, the Oak would evelove into 2 clades or divisions called Eudicots and then the Rosids before coming to its first ranked division, the Order: Fagales.<br />
<br />
This group includes the Birch family, Betulaceae, the walnut family Juglandaceae, and many others, including the beech family, Fagaceae. From there, it is further subdivided down into the Genus Quercus. All the gloroius oaks of the world are in this genus and they are found in many states and may countries.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9PDB3o2jbDfauaNwQN6XaFHBb-uzb08a9nPXDZ8W1-0dCpPuYNiFrUmX25ms4VnF6nFUort4yiXujAudqaBR8IgI5CLPPK-plN_xqyVjbKkxKQvjfIRvR1IFFMrUhVLyAb0Vu6Ct1UusE/s1600/Deep+time" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9PDB3o2jbDfauaNwQN6XaFHBb-uzb08a9nPXDZ8W1-0dCpPuYNiFrUmX25ms4VnF6nFUort4yiXujAudqaBR8IgI5CLPPK-plN_xqyVjbKkxKQvjfIRvR1IFFMrUhVLyAb0Vu6Ct1UusE/s1600/Deep+time" /></a></div>
Of special note are <span class="postbody">Quercus robur (Pedunculate or common oak) and Quercus petraea (Sessile oak). These are the oaks that grew all over Europe, and which inspired the druid Oak Knowers. More later!
</span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Kingdom: Plantae; Phylum: Angiosperms
(flowering plants); Eudicots; Rosids<br />
Order: Fagales Family: Fagaceae Genus: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Quercus</i>
Section: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Quercus</i> Species: <span class="species"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Q. garryana</i></b></span></div>Shann Westonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04630862230126646431noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8516070255106708794.post-88742822474516726062011-12-05T07:42:00.001-08:002011-12-05T08:33:42.808-08:00In the Presence of Elders<style>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU78NmPpJRyLSBDWYsKqqsKvM5paJgvJyME7ASQN2ZQERIWox1ZHYo32wIAOTrwrBR1Lhqet5L-QKofxVupeOeI-As0j5qkOjj3LLC7UFIgu5zkRVlwnEZhzDdGB3uTOaOyNunCi0NlJxo/s1600/oaks2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU78NmPpJRyLSBDWYsKqqsKvM5paJgvJyME7ASQN2ZQERIWox1ZHYo32wIAOTrwrBR1Lhqet5L-QKofxVupeOeI-As0j5qkOjj3LLC7UFIgu5zkRVlwnEZhzDdGB3uTOaOyNunCi0NlJxo/s320/oaks2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxbR-Ib4Psy1qUwRDbwlpKgdTg0VywvbvMwFAci5fw25DonqpEaRWrjCrlFEgazlDEukAwGXYwPpC0LpGOBALLAOGrSmaW_pGXhzXqsxXAskzz3kdjbKpfjsKiQDqeXR9nsN0STOdRDtIV/s1600/Oaks1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxbR-Ib4Psy1qUwRDbwlpKgdTg0VywvbvMwFAci5fw25DonqpEaRWrjCrlFEgazlDEukAwGXYwPpC0LpGOBALLAOGrSmaW_pGXhzXqsxXAskzz3kdjbKpfjsKiQDqeXR9nsN0STOdRDtIV/s320/Oaks1.JPG" width="320" /></a>On Saturday, I felt overwhelmed and overworked. I knew what I had to do. I had to go visit the oaks. Within minutes of entering the grove, I was calmed. Was this because I was in the presence of elders? Using the table below, I figure the Garry Oaks at American Camp Historical National Park to be about... 200-300 years old. I am fresh enough from visting my friend near White Salmon, where the poison oak understory is abundant, to be very grateful for an oak savannah that allows relaxed meandering, with grasses--mostly Ryegrass (Elymus glaucus) and Yorkshire fog (Holcus lanatus)--and mossy rocky knolls.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="st"></span></div>
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="mso-cellspacing: 1.5pt;">
<tbody>
<tr style="mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 0;">
<td style="padding: .75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt;"><div class="MsoNormal">
Circumference (inches)</div>
</td>
<td style="padding: .75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt;"><div class="MsoNormal">
Diameter (inches)</div>
</td>
<td style="padding: .75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt;"><div class="MsoNormal">
Conservative Age<br />
(years)</div>
</td>
<td style="padding: .75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt;"><div class="MsoNormal">
Average Age<br />
(years)</div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 1;">
<td style="padding: .75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt;"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;">37.7</span></div>
</td>
<td style="padding: .75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt;"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;">12</span></div>
</td>
<td style="padding: .75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt;"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;">84</span></div>
</td>
<td style="padding: .75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt;"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;">88</span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 2;">
<td style="padding: .75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt;"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;">75.4</span></div>
</td>
<td style="padding: .75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt;"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;">24</span></div>
</td>
<td style="padding: .75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt;"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;">168</span></div>
</td>
<td style="padding: .75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt;"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;">175</span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 3;">
<td style="padding: .75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt;"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;">113.1</span></div>
</td>
<td style="padding: .75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt;"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;">36</span></div>
</td>
<td style="padding: .75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt;"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;">252</span></div>
</td>
<td style="padding: .75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt;"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;">262</span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 4;">
<td style="padding: .75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt;"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;">150.8</span></div>
</td>
<td style="padding: .75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt;"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;">48</span></div>
</td>
<td style="padding: .75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt;"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;">336</span></div>
</td>
<td style="padding: .75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt;"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;">350</span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 5;">
<td style="padding: .75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt;"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;">188.5</span></div>
</td>
<td style="padding: .75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt;"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;">60</span></div>
</td>
<td style="padding: .75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt;"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;">420</span></div>
</td>
<td style="padding: .75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt;"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;">438</span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 6; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;">
<td style="padding: .75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt;"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;">226.2</span></div>
</td>
<td style="padding: .75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt;"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;">72</span></div>
</td>
<td style="padding: .75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt;"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;">502</span></div>
</td>
<td style="padding: .75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt;"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt;">525</span></div>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXX7huLudFnT2S1nkscYEOP6efQk1OgrWyShFJDvMs_SfKlDtt0MBnI10ZaKyhw9R0mPILtqqau-YkJpNQsl14tRA6AvwDMbR9eFp-YdrVQgxz3AiPGu1Iqx60AHj9q3Kw2HKeWJGSmn-5/s1600/oaks3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXX7huLudFnT2S1nkscYEOP6efQk1OgrWyShFJDvMs_SfKlDtt0MBnI10ZaKyhw9R0mPILtqqau-YkJpNQsl14tRA6AvwDMbR9eFp-YdrVQgxz3AiPGu1Iqx60AHj9q3Kw2HKeWJGSmn-5/s320/oaks3.JPG" width="320" /></a>Source: <a href="http://www.savehelvetia.org/ourcase/white_oak.php">http://www.savehelvetia.org/ourcase/white_oak.php</a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Meanwhile, the air was alive with robins. I did a little research on
the lifespan of robins and while the information is surprisingly little,
it seems they live a short life, with the oldest being about 8.5 years
(in captivity). </span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAfj-wJKII_JKnJ9pve8ncfP9Vp0UJBipmDkYTlRDTw5B3xxB6TAuCRB66jLheey90BwDJX8v66Scp_7zoizVzKSQVuMWgFg2GLoh7NU6vH-ZNa_g_rMd5W_IGMI4COcRCldIqS8T9VeHI/s1600/robin+in+oak" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAfj-wJKII_JKnJ9pve8ncfP9Vp0UJBipmDkYTlRDTw5B3xxB6TAuCRB66jLheey90BwDJX8v66Scp_7zoizVzKSQVuMWgFg2GLoh7NU6vH-ZNa_g_rMd5W_IGMI4COcRCldIqS8T9VeHI/s1600/robin+in+oak" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> (Click <a href="http://photos.rvinteractive.com/Birds/Bluebirds-Robins-Warblers/4168460_HjNgLS/2/751028227_SwuhP#751028227_SwuhP">here</a> for source of photo.)</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: small;">So, there we were, us and a whole lot more than
my eye could see or brain comprehend, alive on this planet (estimated
age: 4.54 billion years old). One rooted in the earth, one walking, one
flying--on one day in December in 2011. That small, huge fact changed
my mood.</span>Shann Westonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04630862230126646431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8516070255106708794.post-10136806507138339272011-12-02T08:36:00.001-08:002011-12-02T08:40:22.148-08:00Uncage the SoulThis time-lapse video is so wonderful I just had to share it now, while I am off becoming an Oak Knower. Let it load for a good several minutes before watching. The name of their company is <i><b>Uncage the Soul</b></i>. Sometimes everything that needs to be said is in the title. What is the right way of seeing things? Perhaps this way is closer to the real way of things than our slow and attention-wandering, work-focused minds. Click <a href="http://vimeo.com/32852978">here</a> to see.Shann Westonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04630862230126646431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8516070255106708794.post-45832470496441323942011-12-01T08:01:00.001-08:002011-12-01T08:16:39.971-08:00On Becoming An Oak Knower<style>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
I recently visited a friend outside of White Salmon. As always, the walk into her grove of
Oregon White Oaks was an excursion into an enchanted world. I have always loved the space and
“negative space” (Negative space, in art, is the space around and between the
subject(s) of an image.) of winter trees. Combine that with lichen, moss and a
few lingering golden leaves in the long shafts of a winter sun and you have …
magic. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So let’s start with that. Magic, that is. And maybe the nature of the Divine, which
preceded and followed the walk in the Oak Grove. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCxzeqYOM61VHuQlMhiY4YaTYiz83mkEeFH3-qq-JLx_C__JkJse6rPWBlJbojuBAHlL2CQxs7BpAgZVcMVp8WCur4GHszcyQPnn1T9LUEhThbx1ES8rqfNdyfgbSYX5hEyGAj40ohI7CV/s1600/The+Holy+Oak+Tree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCxzeqYOM61VHuQlMhiY4YaTYiz83mkEeFH3-qq-JLx_C__JkJse6rPWBlJbojuBAHlL2CQxs7BpAgZVcMVp8WCur4GHszcyQPnn1T9LUEhThbx1ES8rqfNdyfgbSYX5hEyGAj40ohI7CV/s320/The+Holy+Oak+Tree.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Source of image and quotes below: <a href="http://blogspot.com/2009/12/holy-oak-tree-religion.html">blogspot.com/2009/12/holy-oak-tree-religion.html</a></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Oak Knower:</span></b> “In
Gaelic, “Druidh” is the compound of *dru + *uid = oak-knower. In the ancient
Celtic society Druid was a name bestowed on a seer or visionary who possessed ‘oak
knowledge.’</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">The Goddess:</span></b> The
pre-Christian world was the world of Celts, who worshiped nature. To the Celtic
outlook, the land was the main goddess, the rivers were her helpers and they
enriched the earth. Celts used to live in forests, where they were close to the
nature and could learn the language of trees and wisdom of animals. With the
appearance of Christianity ancient Celts didn’t disturb their close ties with
nature; they connected their love to nature with the main principles of
Christianity. Celtic monks lived in deep forests and wrote their religious
works for the gifts of nature. The most important thing was to understand the
divine origin of all things and god’s existence in nature. Celts saw life as a
constantly changing circulation of life and death. Everything moved in a spiral
and nature’s observation gave a possibility to find mechanism of development of
the world.”</div>
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************************************** </div>
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<span class="st">When I got home to my own Oak Grove, I
resolved to become an Oak Knower. Yes, the tree of the San Juan Islands that I love best is the
same Quercus </span><i><span style="font-family: Cambria;">garryana</span></i><i><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-style: normal;">—the Garry Oak is the same as the Oregon White
Oak. The next few entries will
explore the world of this sacred and amazing tree. </span></i></div>Shann Westonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04630862230126646431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8516070255106708794.post-1581211667965469632011-11-12T10:19:00.001-08:002011-11-13T08:05:56.435-08:00A Tribute For Ruffles<style>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTKVfmxqbPzlCl8GESTbjzh1jzB8D-CS-FuG0aLpIkFBLPS25e-MfXzXwMJJmHXBJWT-cv4cU4EgaqdJUbJjZbh34ZXdct0JtvpXsC5LKh1gbN_Cnmw-Har5FSpgE0YZkxIBYPLqq29MGj/s1600/IMG_2483.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTKVfmxqbPzlCl8GESTbjzh1jzB8D-CS-FuG0aLpIkFBLPS25e-MfXzXwMJJmHXBJWT-cv4cU4EgaqdJUbJjZbh34ZXdct0JtvpXsC5LKh1gbN_Cnmw-Har5FSpgE0YZkxIBYPLqq29MGj/s200/IMG_2483.JPG" width="200" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-weight: normal;">On the year of my 60<sup>th</sup> birthday, I hear that you have gone
missing. By the summer of 2011, your death is official, the oldest male in the
Southern Resident Community. A gray box in the Orca ID guide will mark your
life and death. Your body has been
laid to rest by the sea, a banquet for your neighbors. </span></b></span><style>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEOnKRXYzcPueOknRri_Vgy8nraWRVLRitHnzcA2WZZu-D-LOgU1Jn63pAqWjPFxrKt3Ug1dAutmX6dyqaGhQSsPWPOkqZYVL7wdyVtc4JxLL7GjVSa0m_O5oXoNBnhOIzMv7X5lM8SCYl/s1600/ruffelsbreach" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="134" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEOnKRXYzcPueOknRri_Vgy8nraWRVLRitHnzcA2WZZu-D-LOgU1Jn63pAqWjPFxrKt3Ug1dAutmX6dyqaGhQSsPWPOkqZYVL7wdyVtc4JxLL7GjVSa0m_O5oXoNBnhOIzMv7X5lM8SCYl/s200/ruffelsbreach" width="200" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Photo by Erick Pierson</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-weight: normal;">If the estimated year of your birth is accurate, you and I would have
been born just months apart. We have led parallel lives on parallel planets
that somehow holographically occupy the same point in space. My ocean kinsman,
I am grateful for encounters with you, many more than I surely deserved. </span></b></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn2GJ3NPDW_OkTy5aUOkbxchUPDMVkakwcjOnx-04goj0MLGDUTArnotgqvXgzTZqOYUn7vNFXMIKgaETUwEUzFmIzlRVt4MABDF8-WF7PyrI0VjTast7SNYOJBSgaZBsDJ-BGNRnye4t8/s1600/Rufflescartwheel" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="126" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn2GJ3NPDW_OkTy5aUOkbxchUPDMVkakwcjOnx-04goj0MLGDUTArnotgqvXgzTZqOYUn7vNFXMIKgaETUwEUzFmIzlRVt4MABDF8-WF7PyrI0VjTast7SNYOJBSgaZBsDJ-BGNRnye4t8/s200/Rufflescartwheel" width="200" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Photo by Jami Rouge</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.1pt 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-weight: normal;">Mostly, the limited views I had of you </span></b></span><span style="font-size: small;">was like identifying
a human from the top of their head only.
But in rare moments, in the time span of one breath, I was given the
opportunity to try and really see you—to catch the momentary splendor of your
strength and beauty when you cartwheeled. I took in my breath as you surged and porpoised toward some
new location; I watched you rest and travel in the middle of your pod,
surrounded by the members of your clan.
</span></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.1pt 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUR_vfMEDJUtHkvbmC-uebqDT0Z2HAa3CPBy9aECY0DlKshuOZqECEY7pttscBGsKKTMzHu1oE4GEy6VIopDdiP5Lx0ndC3ffxWf-PJ-jX8OeSLGOfy8zN_MlpK8dgefN7tzgJAZKyVc20/s1600/ruffleswithfamily" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUR_vfMEDJUtHkvbmC-uebqDT0Z2HAa3CPBy9aECY0DlKshuOZqECEY7pttscBGsKKTMzHu1oE4GEy6VIopDdiP5Lx0ndC3ffxWf-PJ-jX8OeSLGOfy8zN_MlpK8dgefN7tzgJAZKyVc20/s1600/ruffleswithfamily" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by: Monika Wieland</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.1pt 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Over the
years, I saw the stateliness of your movements become more labored. I could see you getting old. This observation
I hold tenderly, because it is the true privilege of time spent with a known
individual. You were a creature from another place, as alien as outer space,
but I could see that you were slowing down. </span></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.1pt 0in;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVGnW46je8epUorKm0bf4eUIiLI6bHRSELTc3pf07RuHejEwE7ckA8EOoK4ujxRjoYwcnOkwHdSPWdeWfVxU2dmpqIzMS2KkXKTaVneDEL4IDSuMsNZzJaKj7CubZ8VpepEDUi452ytz9S/s1600/coyote" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVGnW46je8epUorKm0bf4eUIiLI6bHRSELTc3pf07RuHejEwE7ckA8EOoK4ujxRjoYwcnOkwHdSPWdeWfVxU2dmpqIzMS2KkXKTaVneDEL4IDSuMsNZzJaKj7CubZ8VpepEDUi452ytz9S/s200/coyote" width="155" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: Trickster Wine</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-weight: normal;">My true relationship with you has been fashioned of imagination, joined
to your life in dreams and in the wanderings of my heart. </span></b><b><span style="font-weight: normal;">In ancient times, legends speak of Coyote or Raven and the Celtic seal
person, the selkie—animal people who came to walk the land in human form. Now,
without a culture that can hold such a vision communally, I must do it alone
and in the secret spaces of my mind.
In that way, your death does not end my connection with you. As a spirit
whale, you would be free to come with me to the Planet of Land. </span></b></span></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.1pt 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"></span></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnytL5OAnM3QEoLQbZOcrX3huS16M8r9qGilhU6wuES0v4-mFjsArco5J7x_6n-T3S2v9H60nxNe4oS4mql69C_lYd8aTHopsM3ER5v96q1BMHbEkf9hONKtFODw1jsvSMMeaoQq0QgWd8/s1600/rufflescrowd" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnytL5OAnM3QEoLQbZOcrX3huS16M8r9qGilhU6wuES0v4-mFjsArco5J7x_6n-T3S2v9H60nxNe4oS4mql69C_lYd8aTHopsM3ER5v96q1BMHbEkf9hONKtFODw1jsvSMMeaoQq0QgWd8/s200/rufflescrowd" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: Seattle Times</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-weight: normal;">Such a thought
makes me smile. How surprised you might be to find out I was more than a two
legged creature on the shore or boat, making loud sounds of excitement over
very move you made. I would take you to Thanksgiving tables, set with family
and friends. I would show you humans
making art and serving their own, humans singing and inventing and gardening. I
would also tell you about human schisms over race, religion and politics, and how
full of lust we are for power, possessions and all things technological. </span></b>You had never known nuclear families like ours, nor the herd life of land animals fighting for dominance, territory and females. Unlike you, I would say,
storms make humans scurry inside protective shelters and gravity binds us to the earth. Finally, I
would explain the human hand that gave rise to so many things, good and bad. </span></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.1pt 0in;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCvrr9YBrsO6WvvmSNSbjD0tauDPbkaFN1zoZClUIHHxRbdQ1B0TMT01agF3DHmYLqhDiMsHJ79mF3vxJFOBbuCfRI7Ul2SOyLoTDfcL891sMNSc_2-M4zJTkTMCaeR9h2AHvVz_FFfSQE/s1600/IMG_2481.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCvrr9YBrsO6WvvmSNSbjD0tauDPbkaFN1zoZClUIHHxRbdQ1B0TMT01agF3DHmYLqhDiMsHJ79mF3vxJFOBbuCfRI7Ul2SOyLoTDfcL891sMNSc_2-M4zJTkTMCaeR9h2AHvVz_FFfSQE/s200/IMG_2481.JPG" width="200" /></a><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-weight: normal;">I like to think of us walking on the sacred trails of the islands and
then to the top of the hills and mountains, where we would rest and look out
over vistas you have never seen. You would tell me you knew little of the lives
of the strange creatures who move through the water in such different ways,
sometimes nearly mowing whale families down in their haste to arrive, sometimes
moving alongside the clans for hours at a time, sometimes silently skimming the
water with a long structure you had observed for thousands of years. Perhaps
you would recite an old orca legend, about salmon that once filled the waters
and how, with the coming of humans, they catastrophically disappeared from your
world. </span></b></span></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.1pt 0in;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDIMZY0oo6wpzqt7dmTBJEfSiPrfQSheJPuj6zeAAKQSQEorMjy4hmfsM-wAB1g47EvBjBpViPrS5uXx7KHqhMlETgsYj5EvwOxmFCZI4BhYdRbvEWoH9bYeMDU7k_DcsbfWWdq4ycmTx5/s1600/100_0535.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDIMZY0oo6wpzqt7dmTBJEfSiPrfQSheJPuj6zeAAKQSQEorMjy4hmfsM-wAB1g47EvBjBpViPrS5uXx7KHqhMlETgsYj5EvwOxmFCZI4BhYdRbvEWoH9bYeMDU7k_DcsbfWWdq4ycmTx5/s200/100_0535.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-weight: normal;">When we had
our fill of such stories, we would return to the water’s edge and slip beneath
its opaque cover of dark blue. You would show me a world of sound and
connection, for the water does not allow the concept of boundaries that my land
planet does. </span></b>You would tell me how the cold tempestuous waves
swirl around your skin and how the only heat you had ever known was the warm
milk of your mother and the hot blood that ran in your veins. <b><span style="font-weight: normal;">You would show me salmon and herring, upwelling
and tidal current and I would understand that all of it was you—for who can find
the line between the things that give rise to life and the life that develops? I
would recognize that the salt water I call ocean and Salish Sea is you. I would
see the nations of the ocean planet beside you and understand that they cannot
be separated from their home or from each other. </span></b>I’d like to
think that this conversation, without words, would occur like bell tones in our
bodies. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-weight: normal;">An aside. I
would hesitate to tell my spirit kinsman the name we have given him. The
ruffled edge of his fin was his trademark but it never defined him. </span></b><b> </b>Calling Ruffles Ruffles seems a bit like calling Lincoln
Stretch or Benjamin Franklin Fluffy.
Or imagine perhaps Chief Seattle being dubbed Red. Nor would I describe
how we watched and marked his movements. Imagine trying to know—say, the poet
Billy Collins— in this way. Yes, his
literal bowel movements we could know, and the way he moved through space. “He
is walking, he is sitting, he is sleeping.” We would know much about his animal
life but this would not account for the deep wisdom of his soul and the <b>way</b> he lived his life. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">No, I might just never mention it. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9CTG93h-xDG8B3FFe5ypBx8LfbpzWkNSN9_qZ0ca4ExnDJqy4-zYriqeW-JhHfpumhIHp8x9vLmcrWe-AB6wS2QBHFzvP6gIycO47bUEx9l0t0nIvXoSh0b9lQQJIP8EE2MbcUUlrWat_/s1600/ruffelssunset" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="139" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9CTG93h-xDG8B3FFe5ypBx8LfbpzWkNSN9_qZ0ca4ExnDJqy4-zYriqeW-JhHfpumhIHp8x9vLmcrWe-AB6wS2QBHFzvP6gIycO47bUEx9l0t0nIvXoSh0b9lQQJIP8EE2MbcUUlrWat_/s200/ruffelssunset" width="200" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Photo by Jeff Lorton</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: small;">And so, for this tribute, I will use no name for you. The
Salish language family has many sounds that mimic the <i>sss . . .</i> Sound of the Sea. Let this sound in my heart suffice for
now. I salute you. You have held my focus on the world that gives rise to mine,
the ocean planet that sustains life. From your existence, I have learned much
about my own. I will keep alive your stories and use your charisma to talk
about the fragile and powerful place that created and nourished you. I trust the great mystery of your being
will continue to accompany me. I am simply and profoundly grateful to have
witnessed your presence. </span></div>
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<br /></div>Shann Westonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04630862230126646431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8516070255106708794.post-66287592860833845132011-11-06T13:24:00.000-08:002011-11-12T12:34:16.663-08:00Chickadee Magic and Dark NightsThe dark has arrived. I wake up gleeful to have an extra hour--yay, 7AM turned into 6AM! But this afternoon, as I prepare the ground for garlic and race the end of the day to get it all done, I am not gleeful anymore. This is transition time. The seasons demand that we pay attention. The long black nights proclaim the time of dreaming.<br />
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And chickadees. My grandmother Marion loved chickadees and I have always felt they embodied her spirit. Look closely at this common bird. We so easily think we know everything about anything that is "common". Truth is, this concept keeps us form learning as much about those species as I might about an animal considered exotic. <br />
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I found a lovely site that listed all kinds of facts I did not know about chickadees. <a href="http://lansingwbu.blogspot.com/2010/11/fun-facts-about-chickadees.html">Click here</a> if you want to go to that site. Did you know that: <br />
<ul>
<li>Research has shown that while Chickadees are regular visitors to
feeders, over 75 to 80 percent of their winter food supply still comes
from natural sources. </li>
<li>When the temperature falls
below 10 degrees, research has shown that the survival rate of
chickadees almost doubled when they had access to feeders, this resulted
in an overall higher winter survival rate of 69% versus a 37% survival
rate for populations without access to feeders."</li>
</ul>
Okay. Stop there and take it in. They mate for life. And when it's cold they really need some help to survive. And they need your natural plantings as well. Here's more:<br />
<ul>
<li>"Have you noticed how ravenously the birds eat at your bird feeders,
especially first thing in the morning and just before dusk? Chickadees
can gain as much as 10 percent of their body weight each day and lose it
all again during a cold winter night. </li>
<li>Chickadees are a tough little bird that do not migrate. During cold
weather Chickadees have been found to need twenty times more food than
they do in summer. </li>
<li>They like to eat seeds, suet and even coconut. </li>
<li>Chickadees weigh less than one-half of an ounce. </li>
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<a href="http://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Carolina_Chickadee-27527-2.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="A Carolina Chickadee (Parus carolinensis) perc..." height="150" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2c/Carolina_Chickadee-27527-2.jpg/300px-Carolina_Chickadee-27527-2.jpg" style="border-color: -moz-use-text-color; border-style: none; border-width: medium; font-size: 0.8em;" width="200" /></a><span class="zemanta-img-attribution" style="clear: both; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">Image via <a href="http://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Carolina_Chickadee-27527-2.jpg">Wikipedia</a></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Carolina Chickadee</td></tr>
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<li>The oldest banded Black-capped Chickadee recaptured in the wild had lived 12 years and 5 months."</li>
</ul>
Chick-a-dee-dee. I am going out to feed the birds.Shann Westonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04630862230126646431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8516070255106708794.post-66477416813315525472011-11-05T09:32:00.000-07:002011-11-13T08:07:34.071-08:00Magic in Our Islands<br />
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I looked up at the waxing gibbous moon last night. The foggy mists of the dark night trailed over her face, like a lace veil. In that moment, I decided to create this new blog. As a writer, I am compelled to use words to describe the beauty around me. A blog is the perfect vehicle to share it with you, the reader. Come with me, day by day, as I find magic in our islands.<br />
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This defintion is from <a href="http://www.universetoday.com/20324/gibbous-moon/">Universe Today</a>.<br />
"A gibbous moon is one of the phases of the Moon, when the size of the
illuminated portion is greater than half but not a full Moon.
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The period between a first quarter moon and a full moon is known as a
waxing gibbous moon, because the illuminated region of the Moon is
increasing from day to day."Shann Westonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04630862230126646431noreply@blogger.com0