Some Trees to Remember

What is your favorite tree? Thanks, Jane, for letting us know some of your favorites. I've been trying to think of my own and of course, couldn't narrow it down to one. I enjoy walking among the trees. Taking a path that leads through some towering oaks or golden maples. Even as a kid, I would pick out this or that tree that was a landmark of beauty. But then I thought trees were for fun too. There was a willow tree in our yard where I grew up that had branches that grew to the ground. It was great fun to go inside the branches of that tree and set up my own little world. Then we had sycamore trees we called "monkey" trees because we could climb them with little difficulty.

More recently there are maple trees in our yard and fields that turn beautiful colors in the fall. One in our front yard used to cast a pink glow through our front window. Unfortunately the wind and ice storms have taken a toll on it, but the last section of it struggles on. We have a swing on it for the grandkids now. Of course the oaks are majestic, and the apple trees generous. And there's one old tree over in the field that could be a Halloween tree. It looks a little spooky, but then getting older can make us a little spooky sometimes. Maybe my favorite trees right now are the tall yellow poplars over in the field. I suppose when I think about it, I can't narrow it down to one or even ten favorites. Each beautiful tree is a gift that can lift my spirits and make me glad to breath the air they so generously provide.

Here are some tree quotes.

• Keep a green tree in your heart and perhaps a singing bird will come. --Chinese Proverb
• For a tree to become tall it must grow tough roots among the rocks. - Friedrich Nietzche
• The best time to plant a tree is twenty years ago. The second best time is now. - Proverb
• The creation of a thousand forests is in one acorn. --Ralph Waldo Emerson
• Knowing trees, I understand the meaning of patience. Knowing grass, I can appreciate persistence. -- Hal Borland, Countryman: A Summary of Belief
• Many people, other than the authors, contribute to the making of a book, from the first person who had the bright idea of alphabetic writing through the inventor of movable type to the lumberjacks who felled the trees that were pulped for its printing. It is not customary to acknowledge the trees themselves, though their commitment is total. -Rada and Forsyth, Machine Learning

Hope you get out and enjoy some trees this fall. Share some of your favorites with us in the comments section if you want. And if you're in the SC area, don't forget to come by and say hello at my booksignings in Greenville and Spartanburg at the Barnes and Noble stores on Thursday and Friday nights. Talk to you Sunday.