Body, Mind, Spirit
I can’t resist taking a picture of jumbles and cracks on my walks, so I thought I would make them the subject of my pictures this week. They’re easy to find in an older neighborhood with mature trees. I heard once that the canopy of a tree above ground mimics the root pattern below ground. I don’t think that’s entirely true, because we have a very tall, 50+ year old Liquidambar in our front year with a tight canopy, and those roots criss-cross the yard like highways all the way down to the street. They’ve torn up two sewer lines, a planter, and an entire sprinkler system. That tree is a hoodlum.
The trees around our neighborhood are just as thuggish. Cracked sidewalks, busted streets, lawns in a rolling state of upheaval–nothing new, move along. There is always someone, somewhere, repairing cement. Everyone else is hosing down their jacaranda petals. There is one street where there are tree roots cracking through the asphalt, jacaranda petals cover the only sidewalk, and the across the road stands a row of Bradford pear trees. You know, the trees with an easily identifiable and memorable smell. If the elms are the thugs and the jacarandas are the strippers, I suppose the row of Bradford pears makes sense. It’s my little red light district in suburbia.
Song of the Week
Ruby — Kenny Rogers
(The end of the video has interesting trivia.)
“That tree is a hoodlum.” Oh – oh – that made my day. I am going to apply that to all plant life that isn’t doing what I want. Thank you. Love your stuff.
I thought Lucille had 400 children (not four hungry children) until I went to college. At eight years old I was also terrified I was going to die in my sleep, since it was the best thing I could hope for, according to The Gambler.
Comment of the day. +250 points
Somehow, I thought Kenny Rogers had never been anything but an older guy with grey hair and a pot belly. I mean, I knew he’d been young once. I guess I thought he wasn’t famous until he was older. Which has nothing to do with thugs or strippers. Now I’m wondering why the Song of the Week wasn’t Roxanne. :-)
It almost was! I had the code and everything, and it did pop up in Pandora, but I gave it a thumbs down. I actually don’t like that song!
I don’t like the song either, but I do love it in the scene in the Moulin Rouge movie.
I didn’t have a clue what a Liquidambar tree was, or so I thought. We call them sweet gum trees in Alabama. And they are messy, but I love the way their leaves smell in the fall.
You know this whole working in a office business is putting a kink in my routine. So, I thought I’d be all sneaky and read your blog whilst at work–when I clicked the link (leading to what I imagined to be a bit on the Bradford pear) a warning popped up: site blocked “DUE CORPORATE POLICY.” And since I know the scent Bradford Pears are known for, it made me snicker. :)
You know, they’re such a lovely looking tree. Who would think they’d smell as they do? Proof God has a sense of humor!
And Kenny Rogers. I’m sure I probably told you, but The Gambler was one of the first songs I ever learned to sing–that and Jesus Loves Me. Pretty much set for life, right from the beginning . . .
I thought I was the only one who thought such things about those trees! I am so relieved. Seriously. Thank you!
Greetings! Very usefull advicce in this particular post!
It is the little changes that make the largrst changes.
Manny thanks for sharing!