"Of course my father always said I was vaccinated with a phonograph needle "

Hah! Will remember that! Too funny!


Kathleen, I'm sure we can raise a ruckus! We all need the entertainment, eh?

Now about that buckshot cherry...I assume that was a target practice tree or something?

Shoe (who thinks we just gave Sharon her next mission, should she decide to accept it...)

Sharon's been on it for the past almost hour, Shoe.
Yep.

Stay tuned.

YEAH!!!!

I knew that....

Never knew you to waste time!

Heh!
How 'bout if I just tell you that I'll let y'all know the date of publication.
OK?

Sounds good, Sharon.

Shoe, I'm thinking it was just a tree in the way of an overenthusiastic, if target challenged hunter as it came from the woods.

Kathleen said: They did plant a nice native rhododendron in front of the house ( I know most people think of them as shrubs, but this one is 20 feet high - tree status I'd say).

When I was at Anna Ruby Falls last weekend, I was amazed at how tall the rhododendrons were -- they were definitely trees and not shrubs.

We had to cut this one back a couple of times so it didn't block the front windows and rub on the siding. It's decided to just grow up.

I'm waiting for my trees to grow up a little more, and then I'll fill in the spaces between them, providing a travel corridor for critters/birds. And i have an entire side yard to play with once I shift my fence slightly. After seeing how tall the rhodo's were in the mtns, and hearing about yours, I might plant several over there

And I forgot to mention my rhody. It came with the house and was tiny like a small azalea when we moved here in '73. It was planted in one corner of the brick arches out front in a slightly shady area that at the time was all morning sun until I planted the tiny river birch seedling that's nearby.

So the rhody grew and bloomed, got to be about 5' and sprawling, and I planted the river birch. Then the rhody grew no taller but started branching outward more, got fatter. I keep thinking it isn't going to make it another year because it's looking a little feeble but every year it blooms just like the year before, so I just keep loving it. Sometimes it forgets what it's doing and blooms, like last year, in November or even September, but then I forget what I'm doing sometimes too, so we have that in common. The house was built in '71 so the rhody was planted about '72. I guess we'll be celebrating its 40th birthday this year.

My weather person just said we might get snow tomorrow.
It's been 60* since Christmas. How weird.

I have no big trees inside my little yard, but I do have city trees outside our fence. In winter when the leaves have littered my yard, I get the much needed daytime warmth coming in thru our windows. Come summer, I have their leaves protecting us from the scorching heat...In Fall, they join the chorus of nature's color changing palette:

Summertime


Fall


Winter


And this other photo is around Lake Merritt in Oakland, CA, I just love the natural sculpture of this wonderful wind swept, gnarled tree!

I love that gnarled tree, Tarev! How beautiful.

Sometimes I think trees have their own personalities. That one seems to be a wise old woman, beautiful and strong.

I agree with Sharon, a fascinating, wise, old tree. Do you know what kind of tree it is Tarev?
The city trees share their beauty with you Tarev. : )

I forgot about my miniature tree Ullmus x hollandica 'Jacqueline Hillier'

That's so pretty, Lynn. Are you keeping it as a bonsai?

I'm not sure what I will end up doing with it. I am thinking that this year I will put it in a larger container. It is difficult to keep it watered in the bowl it is in right now.

LOVE that gnarled tree, Tarev!

Love the gnarled tree and the sweet baby tree

Thanks for all those who liked the gnarled tree photo That tree is such a sight to see let alone seat on hehehe and I do not know what kind of tree it is either.

I like your little tree Lynn! That is one thing I would hope to try one of these days, to make a bonsai..in the meantime, I will content seeing lovely displays during exhibits

Here is a photo we had in July 2005, when we went to the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequioas in Yosemite..this gigantic trees are just way too tall to fit in our camera hehe, seeing the trunk will give you all an idea

Hmmmmmm . . . I could live in that tree!!!