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What's your favorite tree?
One of the things I miss about Georgia is the dogwood trees. They are easily my favorite tree. I do love big trees too, but I have always admired the chutzpah and captivating beauty of the small, twisted dogwood. Members of the Cornus genus don't get very big because they grow wild in shady, full-grown forests. Dogwoods seem to bend themselves into tortured shapes trying to find the bits and pieces of sunshine that trickle through the canopy above. And their efforts are rewarded with gorgeous, four-lobed blossoms of white or pink. The oft-cultivated cornus florida, or flowering dogwood (above), is the most common species in the Eastern US. Their beautiful oval leaves are a lovely muted green as well as smooth and soft to the touch with gracefully arcing ribs.
I especially loved dogwoods in the forests of North Georgia where I lived most of my first 42 years. Looking out the car window in the Appalachian foothills, I would see what seemed a cloud of white butterflies amongst the gray trunks of the trees with the yellow green of the emerging early spring foliage as a backdrop. It was as if mother nature were tentatively testing her brush by flicking a few drops of sparkling white paint on a somewhat drab canvas before breaking out her full palette. Those spots of white warmed my heart with the promise of spring and summer.
Here in Northern Indiana, dogwoods are very rare. It's too cold. I never see them in the wild around here. Occasionally, a determined and nurturing homeowner manages to keep one alive, but, after this winter, I wonder how many will make it.
I do love the variety of trees here in Indiana. I miss the pine trees of my home state, but in my own yard I have mature specimens of silver maple, sycamore, birch, fir, buckeye, walnut, sweet gum, and poplar. We had a wonderful wild cherry tree, but it had to go because it interfered with a power line.
I'd say my favorite tree here in Hoosierland is the American sycamore, or Platanus occidentalis (right). It is the opposite of the dogwood in many ways. It is big, brash, hard, and rough-edged. It produces large, stiff leaves that are bigger than my hand with my fingers outstrectched and that stubbornly won't drop until all the other leaves have fallen. It sheds strong, twisty, stabbing limbs and flaky pieces of bark onto the lawn. Sycamores are big and rude and produce no heart-warming flowers. But they seem to be comfortable with who they are, and, given their gigantic size, remind me of elephants with their imperturbable calm. Sycamores don't dance in the wind, they stand there and take it and don't mind snapping off a few limbs and some bark in the process. They're tough, so I guess they have that in common with the dogwood.
Of course, I can't close out a diary about the dogwood without mentioning the Christian story I was told about the tree as a child. I was told that the dogwood once grew tall and strong until its wood was used for the Cross, and, as a result, God cursed the tree to be small and crooked. I was told God made the blooms look like Jesus's crucifixion, with the "bloody" indentations at the end of each of the four cross-like "petals" (actually, bracts) representing the nails in Jesus's hands and feet; the center (the real flowers) represented the crown of thorns. It was also convenient that dogwoods appeared around Easter. So, as a child, I believed the story. Now, not so much.
I know you Westerners have your giant redwoods and magnificent fir trees to brag about. And side pocket has a love/hate relationship with the eucalyptus, I think. There are many beautiful and exotic trees in the United States. Even Georgia has two arguably flashier trees—the magnolia and the live oak draped in Spanish moss. But I will stick with the humble dogwood for its simple pastel elegance, its optimistic early return, and its gnarly determination. But how about you?
What's your favorite tree?
Image Credits:
Bi-color dogwood tree courtesy ppdl.purdue.edu
Wild dogwood courtesy julie-annsworld.blogspot.com
Sycamore courtesy longislanddailyphoto.blogspot.com
Dogwood blossom courtesy carolinanature.com
Latest Updates on Kossack Regional Meet-Up News Can Be Found Below the Orange Group Hug.
Let's Build Communities!
Our team is here to provide support and guidance to new and existing volunteer leaders of each regional and state group, helping them with recruiting, organizing and executing social and action events.
We invite you to join in this effort to build our community. There are many ways to pitch in.
If there isn't a group to join near you, please start one.
Instructions on HOW TO FORM A NEW DAILY KOS GROUP
List of All Existing Meatspace Groups
THINK GLOBALLY, ACT LOCALLY
by sidnora ♥ for New York City
Thank you, sidnora, for the great photo diary recap. So many terrific photos of our NYC Kossacks and all their food pr0n. It looks like everyone had a really good time. There's still time to rec her diary.
Here's only two photos of the many that belinda ridgewood, joanbrooker and Denise Oliver Velez provided:
L-R: the camera-shy Yasuragi (yes, she weally showed up!), belinda ridgewood, kathny, malloy, Miscweant, No Exit, Son of Broccoli, jfdunphy, mightymouse, plf515, sidnora, Mets102
L-R: Ian Reifowitz, plf515, sidnora, Denise Oliver Velez, Mets102
Please visit sidnora's diary for many MORE photos! Plus massive food pr0n. Enjoy! You can join New York City by sending a Kosmail to sidnora.
Four Kossack regional groups descend on the California State Capitol
to demand that Governor Jerry Brown ban
the oil and gas production process known as fracking
by navajo ♥ for Connect! Unite! Act!
Representing Northern California, the SFKossacks, Central Valley Kossacks, Paradise & Chico Kossacks and the Silicon Valley Kossacks gathered on the mall of our state capitol in Sacramento on Saturday, March 15th to protest fracking. Governor Brown has the ability to ban the environmentally destructive, water-intensive oil extraction practice known as hydraulic fracturing in California. The state is in a severe drought and the last place our water should go is into fracking. It is estimated the protesters numbered around 4000. We endured the hot sun which sent the temperatures into the 80s as we gathered midday to make a lot of noise and get the attention of the Governor.
Please note red arrow pointing to our Daily Kos banner to gather all us Kossacks together!
Please visit paradise50's diary for his terrific photos!
You can join SFKossacks by sending a Kosmail to navajo.
You can join Central Valley Kossacks by sending a Kosmail to tgypsy.
You can join Paradise & Chico Kossacks by sending a Kosmail to smileycreek.
You can join Silicon Valley Kossacks by sending a Kosmail to Glen The Plumber.
Event Organizers! Please contact wink from Netrootsradio.com by KosMail to schedule airtime with them to live broadcast your Event. Wink & Justice will then promote it on The After Show radio program!
Monday, March 24th
NYC Kossacks Welcome Chaucounne!
TIME: 6:00 PM
LOCATION: Donburiya
137 East 47th Street (Lex-3rd) • NYC
ORGANIZER: Send sidnora a kosmail to RSVP
RSVPs:
1. sidnora
2. Chaucounne
3. thankgodforairamerica
4.
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Maybees:
Avilyn
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Latest diary: NEW EVENT: NYC Meetup 3/24– Dinner with Chacounne!
Saturday, March 29th
Houston Kossacks Meet-up
TIME: 1:00 PM
LOCATION: Fadi's Mediterranean Grill
4738 Beechnut Street • Houston
ORGANIZER: Send Chrislove a kosmail to attend.
RSVPs:
1. Chrislove
2. htowngenie
3. Libby Shaw
4. MarciaJ720
5. Bree Davis
6. krwheaton
7. Mary (Honorary Kossack)
8. Alan (Honorary Kossack) |
Maybees:
Mr. Libby Shaw
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Latest diary: Houston Area Kossacks: Meet-Up Scheduled for Saturday, March 29 (plus a note on future meet-ups)
Saturday, April 5th
Baja Arizona Kossacks 4th Annual Picnic
TIME: 4:00 PM
LOCATION: Home of Mr. & Mrs. sneakers563
Address by Kosmail to RSVPers • Tucson
ORGANIZER: Send Azazello a kosmail to attend.
RSVPs:
1. Azazello
2. sneakers563
3. rasbobbo
4. DaNang65
5. ItsaMathJoke
6. Itzadryheat
7. pwoodford
8. ramara
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Maybees:
cosmic debris
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Latest diary: Baja Arizona Kossacks Open Thread
Saturday, April 5th
Seattle & Puget Sound Kossacks Meet-up
TIME: Noon - 3:00 PM
LOCATION: Pyramid Alehouse, Brewery & Restaurant
1201 First Avenue South • Seattle
ORGANIZER: Send EagleOfFreedom a kosmail to attend.
RSVPs:
1. EagleOfFreedom
2. Reetz
3. John Crapper
4. John Crapper's S.O.
5. WisePiper
6. bleeding blue
7. mlharges
8.
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Maybees:
Ojibwa
otto
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Latest diary: Seattle & Puget Sound Kossacks April Meeting
Saturday, May 3rd
DKos Asheville Kossacks Meet-up
TIME: 1:00 PM
LOCATION: The Bywater
796 Riverside Dr. • Asheville
ORGANIZER: Send randallt a kosmail to attend.
RSVPs:
1. randallt
2. davehouck
3. Joieau
4. Gordon20024
5. SteelerGrrl
6. SteelerGuy
7. GulfGal 98
8. Otteray Scribe
9. flwrightman
10. people power granny
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Maybees:
Audri
Mr Audri
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Latest diary: [Waiting for linked diary]
Tuesday, May 13th
SFKossacks Roll Out the Red Carpet for LeftOfYou & Expat Okie
TIME: 11:00 AM, Early lunch!
LOCATION: Yank Sing
Rincon Center, 101 Spear St. • San Francisco
ORGANIZER: Send navajo a kosmail to attend.
RSVPs:
1. navajo
2. LeftOfYou
3. Expat Okie
4. side pocket
5. Justice Putnam
6. dharmasyd
7. Lorikeet
8. jpmassar
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Maybees:
annieli
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navajo maintains the above event list. Kosmail her if you have any diaries
about your event or if you have changes or additions.
EVERYONE is welcome, tell us what you're working on,
share your show and tell, vent, whatever you want.
This is an open thread. Nothing is off topic.