[Magdalen] 2020d

[cantor03 at aol.com]

My middle name should be "Trees."  I do talk to them now and then.  I admit toconifers being my favorite group of trees and am a long time member of theAmerican Conifer Society.  My favorite conifer genus is the pines.  My son still giggleswhen he remembers our first trip to the Sierras in California when I hugged aroadside Sugar Pine (Pinus lambertiana, the first time I had seen  this species, thelargest of the soft pine group.

My father was obsessed with linden (basswood) trees, and planted them whereverhe cou ld.  He was the linden equivalent of the famous Johnny Appleseed.  Heloved linden honey, too.

The mention of persimmon trees reminds me of the several South Korean chestsI possess.  They are striking with their orangey wood and matched darkerpatterns.  They are, of course, the Asian Persimmon species.

And there is that tale of my pulling out a rootbare tulip tree seedling from a crackin the parking lot of the local Procathedral.  I planted this in my yard here in thePennsylvania Poconos, never expecting such a little scraggly twig to survive.It is now 85' in height some 34 years later.

Joyce Kilmer was right --- "I think that I shall never see a poem as lovely as a tree."



David Strang.





In a message dated 1/9/2020 9:48:46 AM Eastern Standard Time, cadyasoukup at gmail.com writes:

I have "The Hidden Life of Trees" lined up as one of my next reads.