Pictures from my last walk in the woods before becoming ill with Anaplasmosis.  You can't be careful enough about ticks which can be as small as a dot.  Because I always shower after my walks in the woods I wonder if the tick found me in the garden or yard.  I also do a full tick-check before going to bed.  Either way, I'm feeling better as of September 2.  I'm glad I can finally show you the interesting  tree-couple I found that day. Take good care. 💚 Peace

A magical misty-passage began my walk this morning.

After a longer than usual ramble I came to another expressive beech-tree.

Tree-faces have the same elements as human-faces.  They are just arranged in a less human-structured way.  

Sometimes multiple faces (or tree-beings) are stacked or overlapping.

And sometimes tree-faces tell you of things to come. Like seeing a bird on the edge of a pond.  Which I did.  On the drive home.  Look, listen, learn from the trees.  💚 Peace

This morning the gentle road led me to a trail I haven't traveled since May. The trail deep in the woods had the feel of a woodland labyrinth switching back and forth numerous time.

I was greeted a lovely beech tree.

With smooth cool-bark.

There was a thoughtful tree-being with deep set eyes.

And a tree-faerie with outstretched wings  atop a bark nose-nub.

I was fascinated by the shadow-paintings on the flesh-like bark.

The magic kingdom of nature in pure form patiently awaits us.  💚 Peace

I'm relieved to say these yard-trees made it through the storm okay.  We had a lot of rain but thankfully no destructive wind.  Hope you fared well too. 💚 Peace

I didn't want to linger too long in the woods this morning with the effects of Hurricane Henri heading our way. But I did have a short visit with this oak who looked like he was just waking up. 

And I couldn't walk by this bright orange jack-o-lantern mushroom without getting a closer look.  I'm hoping we don't get much wind so the trees stay safe. And all of you too! 💚 Peace

I visited a most interesting tree this morning.

A happy glowing fellow.

I got a roots eye-view of the woods.

Met a tree-octopus.

An x in tree-font.

And some miraculous tree-turned trunk.  How can we not be in awe of the trees? The more you look the more you see.  💚 Peace

It was just a 'regular' tall tree that caught my eye in the middle of the woods this morning.

From where I stood next to it there were no branches or leaves for a long way up.

But at eye-level a few masterful bark-art creations awaited my gaze.  A pony-tailed lady holding a large fish.

And a tree-symbol of strength.

A diminutive tree-portrait.

Tree-landscape on a steep slope.

A curious elephant-nosed tree-face.

Pure textured bark-art with moss.

And in the nearby stream a swirling water weather-prediction.  Tune in to nature.  It is our greatest teacher. 💚 Peace 

I revisited an old sugar maple-friend this afternoon.  Over the winter we removed some invasive vines.  It was good to see they hadn't grown back.  It's humbling to be in the presence of a tree with so much character in limb, trunk and bark.  Be kind to trees. 💚 Peace

I saw this mess of tangled roots and rock from a distance this morning.  I wasn't sure if the tree was alive or not.

It was!  And leaning snuggly into a fellow-tree, which was also leaning.

This truly amazes me.  Perhaps an engineer could figure out the physics involved in this marvel.

A couple of tree-buddies involved in the masterful 'save' posed for the camera.  Every day is an opportunity to step into the miracle we are part of.  💚 Peace

A lovely tree-lady just off the way called me over to visit.

It took a while for me to notice the wire embedded in multiple places in the bark.

It must have happened a long time ago as it was completely healed.

A sad tree-face.

A tree-spirit saying Ouch!

And nearby a woodland sunflower glistened from the recent rain.

I discovered another sycamore this morning.  It's the curvy tree in the center. There aren't many in these woods.

High above its smooth bark and sensuous limbs are exquisite. 

Down below its peeling layered bark looks a bit scruffy.

And near the road some pretty pink knotweed.  Nature beckons us to look closer.  There is never ending adventure. 💚 Peace

My rambling through the woods this morning brought me to a magnificent double-trunk shagbark hickory.

This is one of the easiest trees to identify just by its bark.

So different from its neighbors.

A beautiful sense of harmony.

And on the trail another reminder of coexistence. 💚 Peace

If you remember from before, beech trees have cool bark.  Perfect for a hug in hot weather.

Expressive tree-eyes.

Exquisite bark-folds and flows.

Extraordinary feet and tree-toes.

And back by the car I saw out of the corner of my eye blue flower-perfection!  It's called a dayflower because it lasts but a day. A precious gift complete with a flowing ribbon.  There is so much to be grateful for..  Even the simplest of things can fill your heart with light. 💚 Peace

This morning I visited a black cherry tree I haven't seen in quite a while.  I was glad to see it looked healthy.

It's softly flowing trunk-lines and 'burnt corn flakes' bark are unique in these woods.

Beautiful to behold from any direction.

This special tree holds the space around it with grace and serenity.

On the way back I spotted a common earthball, aka pigskin poison puffball.  How can we not be in awe of nature and her multitude of creations! 💚 Peace

I met an affectionate woodland tree-couple off the trail this morning. Message: Keep the love alive. 💚 Peace

I met an unusual tree-friend in the woods this morning.

The same tree had two different barks.

There was a cute tree-couple.

And a misty smiling ghost-web was hanging out.  

Bonus picture to help you keep cool in the full summer heat.  Be safe.  💚 Peace

I visited some trees on the edge of our property this afternoon.

A pignut hickory with beautifully textured bark.

And another hickory with a curious tree-face.  Make the time to step outside and visit nature.  Once you start looking you'll become part of the magic.  💚 Peace

Closer to home this giant tree-friend made sure I stopped by to visit this morning. It's one of the oldest trees in these woods.  I hope in the future there will be more old trees in our woods, not less.  They are powerful energies we all benefit from in countless ways. 💚 Peace

Being in the presence of this monumental 500 year old oak tree in Bedford, NY took my breath away.  I wasn't dressed to venture any closer but it was enough to feel its magnificent energy.  I'm so glad this tree is being protected.  💚 Peace

I was back in the woods this morning and went on a trail I haven't been on since the winter.  It's wonderful having the opportunity to visit the trees in all the seasons

At first this bark looked like shagbark hickory but it was a maple.  My guess is red maple which have layers of long vertical strips.  It was a handsome tree.

I noticed something light colored in a hollow just above my head.

It was magical seeing the fins of this mushroom glow as the light passed through.  And I learned something, too.  Oyster mushroom (which this might be) is a carnivorous fungus!  It preys on roundworms.  Nature truly is full of magic, mystery and marvel.  How blessed we are to witness it.  💚 Peace

This morning we walked on the road at the Cary Institute. It is just a few miles from our house. This lovely tree quickly got my attention. I think it is a basswood. The meadows are beautiful and filled with many different wildflowers.  Step into nature. Her bountiful gifts await your presence and appreciation.  And, of course, always be mindful of the gifts that sting and bite and itch.   💚 Peace

An interesting tree on today's walk with a message of healing and trust.  💚 Peace

This morning's tree-hug in the woods. Quite a few interesting faces and examples of tree-healing. Plus another mushroom. 💚 Peace

It's concentric circular cracks are caused by 'target canker', a fungus.  In the Northeast the red maple is the only tree that develops this distinctive marking.  Interestingly each circular crack marks a year of the tree having the disease. The tree is not killed by this fungus, though the cracks in the bark can make it vulnerable to other problems.

I think this is a Yellow American Blusher.  

A special tree that caught my attention this morning in the woods.

A magical tree-hug in the woods this morning. 

The view looking up was a masterful nature-painting of color, light and line.