Tuesday 28th January - Following a tree

A title like that always makes me think of following a tree that's on the move, like Birnam Wood;

Dunsinane Hill (/dʌnˈsɪnən/ dun-SIN-ən) is a hill of the Sidlaws near the village of Collace in Perthshire, Scotland. 

It is mentioned in Shakespeare's play Macbeth, in which a vision informs Macbeth that he "shall never vanquished be, until Great Birnam wood to high Dunsinane hill Shall come against him."

I never knew that Birnam wood really exists.

Dryads are tree spirits who walk around in the Narnia books, but they leave their trees where they are growing. And of course there are the Ents in the Lord of the Rings books.

But I digress; you may have noticed a number of bloggers 'following a tree' through the year, taking a photograph every month. I've decided to join in. I'll try and remember to take my picture at the end of every month. Here's the apple tree at the bottom of the garden;

I stood on the back doorstep to take the picture as I wasn't wearing shoes and the ground is still so wet. I put up the first string of bunting a couple of years ago, and it has faded to a much duller shades. Last summer I added another, rather short string. It would have been sensible to take it down for the winters except I really love seeing the bright colours through the duller days. In the summer when the leaves are out we sit in the cool green shade under the canopy, and then the bunting helps save the unwary from hitting their head on the branches, as well as adding a carnival feel.

The snowdrops start flowering at Christmas every year, and will have just about finished flowering by the end of February. 

To the north of the apple tree, just a couple of yards away, is our wonderful oak;

Such a beauty. It is just outside the boundary fence. The paler trunk to the right of the oak is a valiant little horse chestnut. It tries it's best, but can't make headway against the oak!

It's a good thing that the oak is on our northwest corner.

The sun creeps up the garden through the day, reaching the house by late afternoon in the winter, and around noon in the summer.

Aren't we just so lucky!

....

Today's verse inspired me to do some throwing away; recycling old magazines, junking some things that were broken and un-mendable, putting a few things away that needed sorting and tidying.

Tomorrow, Wednesday, will be verse 7;

'a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak.'