I love trees.
I have probably taken a picture of almost every interesting tree I've ever seen - from redwoods, doug firs and the oldest tree in the world (forget its name) to our doringbome and riverine trees in Nam.
As a child in Tsumeb, we had a tall bluegum tree in one corner, several jacarandas in front, bananas and papayas in the back. I tried to climb the lot. My favourites were the bluegum because it was the highest. I was small and lightboned, so I could reach the top - where my brothers couldn't get at me, hah-hah. Swinging in the wind against the thin branches up there I could see the school, all the neighbours' yards and right past the nearest stop streets on all side. I could almost see to the club - the main place in town for me.
I also loved the comfortable jacarandas - with their broad branches where you could gather with friends, snacks, and toys and spend an entire afternoon.
What I didn't tell my friends, and most of my family, was that there was a colony of fairies living in the grass and scrub of the hedge surrounding the garden. Because the little tropical town was too hot most of the year for fairies, they lived underground except in the wonderful, magical rainy season. (I actually had a suspicion they migrated to the northern hemisphere in the two dry seasons. All my books showed them in Europe at certain times of the year...)
Anyway, in the rainy season I would go to work at the bottom of the garden, clearing an area for them, and for some reason, always making them a double bed or two from leaves and flowers. The next morning I would rush out to see whether they had been there. Lo and behold - the leaves were always mussed, so I knew the beds had been used and the fairies were happy. If they were happy I was happy.
Agh ja.....
So now I have made sure my garden has the right spots for my grandchildren (my sons were more into rifles and airplanes). There is a climbing tree (jacaranda) and a mulberry tree - fruit is important. And there is a secret place where many blossoms fall on green grass - sorry, can't tell you where - for those who know how to make fairies happy. Smile.
I have probably taken a picture of almost every interesting tree I've ever seen - from redwoods, doug firs and the oldest tree in the world (forget its name) to our doringbome and riverine trees in Nam.
As a child in Tsumeb, we had a tall bluegum tree in one corner, several jacarandas in front, bananas and papayas in the back. I tried to climb the lot. My favourites were the bluegum because it was the highest. I was small and lightboned, so I could reach the top - where my brothers couldn't get at me, hah-hah. Swinging in the wind against the thin branches up there I could see the school, all the neighbours' yards and right past the nearest stop streets on all side. I could almost see to the club - the main place in town for me.
I also loved the comfortable jacarandas - with their broad branches where you could gather with friends, snacks, and toys and spend an entire afternoon.
What I didn't tell my friends, and most of my family, was that there was a colony of fairies living in the grass and scrub of the hedge surrounding the garden. Because the little tropical town was too hot most of the year for fairies, they lived underground except in the wonderful, magical rainy season. (I actually had a suspicion they migrated to the northern hemisphere in the two dry seasons. All my books showed them in Europe at certain times of the year...)
Anyway, in the rainy season I would go to work at the bottom of the garden, clearing an area for them, and for some reason, always making them a double bed or two from leaves and flowers. The next morning I would rush out to see whether they had been there. Lo and behold - the leaves were always mussed, so I knew the beds had been used and the fairies were happy. If they were happy I was happy.
Agh ja.....
So now I have made sure my garden has the right spots for my grandchildren (my sons were more into rifles and airplanes). There is a climbing tree (jacaranda) and a mulberry tree - fruit is important. And there is a secret place where many blossoms fall on green grass - sorry, can't tell you where - for those who know how to make fairies happy. Smile.
