Walking a Wintry Darwen Moor Through Hoar Frosted Birch Trees

Winter grasses on Darwen moor

On leaving the house, I usually glance up at Darwen moor to get an idea of what weather is heading our way. Last week, to my surprise, the trees below Darwen Tower were standing out white with hoar frost against the darker moorland. Intrigued, we changed our plans and made our way up the hill so we could witness the effect up close. Continue reading “Walking a Wintry Darwen Moor Through Hoar Frosted Birch Trees”

Wall Art: Rustic Tree Slice With A Wiggly Outline

Rustic wall art: slice taken from the base of a tree with an uneven outline

It’s intriguing to see inside a tree. I’m fascinated by the uneven outline of this cross-section – how it has what could loosely be described as a star shape.

The worth of an artwork is not so much tied up in its monetary value for me, but is more connected to how long you can look at it, enjoy it or think about it. I could look at this slice of tree for a long while. Continue reading “Wall Art: Rustic Tree Slice With A Wiggly Outline”

Cross-section of Mature Tree Showing Heartwood

Cross section of mature tree showing heartwood

Several people have reached out to find out why I’m quiet online – thanks so much for that. We are fine, but I’m in picture-gathering mode than writing and reading. We recently parted company with our internet provider after many days without service, and are waiting for the new service to be connected in a week or so. (Fingers crossed!)

The wonderfully shaped and richly coloured heartwood is from a stock of timber prepared for use by a woodcrafting company. It is not often we get to see what’s inside the trees around us. Continue reading “Cross-section of Mature Tree Showing Heartwood”

Partying With a Magnificent Chionanthus retusus (Chinese fringetree)

Chinese fringetree flowers

We saw – no, the right word is experienced – this frothy Chinese fringetree in bloom in Natchez last year. Each year when it flowers, the people who own it throw a party in celebration. We’d missed the official party, but had a wonderful evening, and I was charmed by the tree. If I remember rightly, they planted it shortly after buying the house and it is ‘only’ around 25 years old. Continue reading “Partying With a Magnificent Chionanthus retusus (Chinese fringetree)”