Comments on: Trespasser’s will

By: donna

donna — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 18:28:45 +0000

Ah, the useless tree!

Indeed, usually the one left standing. ;^)

By: Crafty Green Poet

Crafty Green Poet — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 14:18:23 +0000

Stunning photos, the first one is particularly wonderful. I’ve always wanted to try out snowshoes, but we so rarely get snow here, certainly not to any depth.

By: Dave

Dave — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 18:11:07 +0000

Joan – Thanks for picking up on my highfalutin’ literary references!

By: Joan

Joan — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 17:30:03 +0000

Everyone has said everything I would have said, and much better. A great post and Shoppery be blamed or praised..it’s a splendid photo. Now, I must admit, however, I looked in vain for Piglet’s grandfather, “Trespassers Will”. (grin)

By: Dave

Dave — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 15:52:36 +0000

marja-leena – Snowshoeing is fun, and best of all requires no atheleticism! Don’t be fooled by the ads that show people in day-clothing running energetically through the snow – although I suppose there are showshoers who insist on trying to turn it into a sport.

dale – Chuang-Tzu. Yup, that parable was in my mind, though it occurred to me also that the “useless” tree was able to survive only because markets for burls or pulpwood didn’t exist yet. A less-famous retelling of the parable in the later chapters of Chuang-Tzu admits that the tree really owes its survival to the fact that it had become useful, as a source of shade and a shrine tree. A lack of strict utilitarian value can in fact sometimes make something more valuable.

Cathy – Intoxication is a good word for it. Like the buzz that weight-lifters get from working out.

Natalie – There’s a half-decent Wikipedia article on burls, which is short on citations but does include a cool photo gallery. And this bulletin contains a reference to the ancient Egyptians that you should appreciate.

Laura, jo(e), Beth – Thanks. I agree, it’s not a bad picture, but technically it sucks. I only got it to look half-decent at this size after extensive photoshoppery. (On the other hand, nothing wrong with shooting photos that are only useful for illustrating a blog post!)

By: beth

beth — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 14:22:37 +0000

Great photo at the top, Dave – looks like home to me. And that’s a terrific burl. I know some woodturners who would love to get their hands on that one!

By: jo(e)

jo(e) — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 03:47:41 +0000

I love the line of trees in that top photo.

By: Natalie

Natalie — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 01:22:11 +0000

Dave, you’re so impressively knowledgeable about nature and you wear this erudition so lightly, it’s a joy.
I’m an ignoramus in that department: what is a burl? Is it the same as those fungus-like growths one sees, mainly around the base of tree trunks sometimes? I’ve never seen a round one like in your photo.
Great pics, as usual.

By: Cathy Wilson

Cathy Wilson — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 00:55:21 +0000

Love the photos. The burl link so interesting. (The black and white in flickr very effective) I smiled at the metaphor intoxication. My brother and I OD’d on metaphors this AM as we were describing a sister’s approach to life.

By: Laura

Laura — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 22:07:39 +0000

I love that top pic – worth trespassing for such a view.