Wednesday 10 February 2021

Tree update

As you may be aware I embarked on a little art project last Autumn: I'm photographing the beech tree outside my house every day for a year; I started back in October so I'm about a third of the way thru. When it's complete I'll have 365 images which James and I are going to turn into a short film. I've also asked him to score it with an original soundtrack - I can't wait to see (and hear) the results of our handiwork.

In the meantime here's a couple of recent photos to give you an idea of how it's looking lately. The top image is from January 24th when we had our first dumping of snow. And the one below was taken this morning. (You can track the daily updates here on my Twitter feed, should you get the urge).


P.S. An arborist came out to look at the tree just before Christmas as part of a TPO* survey he was carrying out. When I asked him how old it was he was able to tell me with with a fair degree of certainty that it dates back to around 1880. 

* Tree Preservation Order

9 comments:

  1. Just beautiful. We went for a walk in the forest near us yesterday and I think it was the prettiest I've ever seen it - Soft and delicate dusting of snow on every tree/shrub.

    Looking forward to your film - Sadly many of the really old trees near us have been taken down of late and I shared the evidence over at my place. Cross fingers your tree stays nice and healthy.

    https://jukeboxtimemachine.com/2019/12/03/sunrise-sunset-2-tequila-and-trees/

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    1. Thanks, Alyson. Yes, it's s become part of my daily lockdown ritual! Not long now till it (literally) springs back into life. Mother Nature, eh?

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  2. Beautiful. Brilliant idea about the film, looking forward to it too. I get a funny (but very comforting) feeling thinking about lovely old trees, about how they're marvellous living things, adapting to the days, the months, the seasons, the centuries even, witnessing it all in solid silence. Never has there been a better time to go out and hug one, don't you think?

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    2. I totally agree - you could be onto something there, C. They could tell a tale or two couldn't they?
      I have a photo from 1926 of the land our house was built on showing all the trees that stood on the plot at the time.

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  3. Wonderful John...I'm a tree-hugger and get so upset when i hear of local trees cut down unnecessarily. we have a field of trees here...some there when we srrived 40 years ago.

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    1. I know how you feel, Gerry. This tree has a TPO on it which is so reassuring; it'll outlive me, that's for sure.
      Feel free to send your tree photos; and if you want to write some poetry too I'll put it up here...

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