Rooted

This week's Sunday Scribblings prompt is 'Rooted.'

This particular pepper tree is one of my favorite trees. Does it look as though it has a face to you? It does to me...when I look at it from across the street, I see eyes, a nose - and of course, it's mouth, open wide like it's yawning. Sometimes it looks very human, to me - other times, I think it looks kind of like a Yorkshire terrier. Either way, it just makes me happy to look at it.

It lives a couple of towns away - but I try to visit it whenever I find myself in that area. I like to think it remembers me - "Oh good! Here's the nice human that cleans out the trash that some litterbug left behind in my knothole." Because sadly, several times that's what I've found, when I've come to visit my tree friend - even though there's a dumpster about 30 feet away - somehow people apparently view that opening in the tree as a convenient trash can - rather than the enchanted doorway to a fairy realm, that I see it as. Sometimes I think the world would be a happier place if more people would anthropomorphize trees - or at least imagine that there were elves or little nature spirits watching how we treated them. Think about that, you tree-pelting litterbugs! Elves and nature spirits may be watching you disapprovingly, and who knows what they may decide to do about it!

But I digress...

Thinking about what it is to be rooted. Like my friend here, I've been rooted in one spot for a long time. This may  seem boring or even stifling to some, but it can actually be rather liberating - to stay in one place long enough to really know it fully. You know where things are - and why things are the way are, and sometimes even who made them that way.

The tree knows through its roots where all the pebbles and stones in the soil are, and how to grow around them, and which direction to stretch out its little tendril roots towards that drip from the garden watertap. Even though it may not like that the road got built so close to its roots - it's had lots of time to gradually adjust to it, and work its roots further down below it. Now, it hardly even notices the cars that pass by, except for the ones that stop beside it to visit for a moment. There are birds that come to visit it, too, bringing it news about its seedlings, and the other trees. It knows all the local earthworms and ants, tunnelling around through the soil, loosening it up, so the tree can spread its roots more easily. It loves the snacks they leave behind for it, too. It considers the bees, worms and bugs good friends - even though the humans don't seem to like them very much.

In a way, I can identify with that. Living in this valley for so long, where I've put down roots, I know which roads to avoid - and what the best detours are to get around them. I know exactly which nursery to go to, if I want to buy a fruit tree or a tomato plant. If I want some unique plants, I know that the Horticultural Society will hold its plant sale during its garden show the last week in April. When I bring the plants home, I'll have a fairly good idea about which part of the yard to plant them in - I've had years of trial and error to find out. Over the course of the years I've found, that even though the yard on the leftside of the driveway gets plenty of sun all summer, leading you to believe it would be a great place for all kinds ofsun-loving plants - come winter, it's in shade most of the time, and winterfrosts leave behind ice that will keep the ground frozen for days. Which the lilacs, apple trees, and tulips actually seem to love - but most everything else recommended for our area, just can't tolerate (sorry about that, Mexican heather, and all you other plants that I inadvertently sent to an early demise, during those first years here). 

Since I first sprouted in this valley, I know where and when to find the things I need, and most of what I want. If I'm craving junk food, I know where I can find the best of it. If I'm on a health kick, I'll avoid the vitamin chainstores in the mall, with their limited brands and higher prices, and the sales going to some distant corporation. Instead I know where the longtime local health food store is - since it's a little bit off the beaten path, and those who aren't from around here, may not even know it exists - but it's where I know I can choose from a wide variety, and have my greenbacks go to other people with roots here. Or if it's Thursday, my roots know to stretch towards downtown, to the 'busy bees and ants' - the local farmers at  Market Night to find what I need.   

I tried transplanting a few times when I was still a sapling, but I nearly pined away, longing for my home ground,  where there's just the right amounts of sun and shade and water. The familiar shapes of the mountains and valley. I even missed the taste of the water from the natural springs here. I've seriously put down some roots, if no other water tastes as sweet to me.

Because I've been rooted here so long, it may seem as though I might become rootbound - wound up so tightly in my little spot in the garden that I wouldn't know what's going on in any other part of the yard - but thanks to the little birds on the Internet, I still get to hear about other parts of the world outside, and find out how the other trees are growing.   

                                                               ~~~~~~~~~~~

I know we don't all have the same ideal growing conditions - and some people may be more like plants that need to move, in order to grow. They may need to float like kelp, or when they reach a certain stage of life, roll about like tumbleweeds. But sending my roots down deep here, is the growth pattern that seems to work for me.

Though some of us may have roots more like tumbleweeds than trees - until we get that whole 'space travel thing' perfected, in a way we're all rooted here on this little planet. I hope we take good enough care of this earth where we're planted, that today's little acorns can grow up into mighty oaks. Or, little peppercorns into yawning peppertrees, as the case may be.

Click here to read more Sunday Scribblings. This being Earth Day, 'Rooted' seems like a perfect prompt for this week's Sunday Scribblings (thanks for that, Laini and Megg).

Hope the Earth is having a happy day - and all of us on it, too.

Comments

[Angela]

Ohhh how BEAUTIFUL! I love trees! Looks wonderful!
*HUGS*

[Caroline]

What a great way to describe your relationship to your own environment!

And I'm sure that tree does appreciate your visits too.

[gemma]

Happy Earth Day Tinker.
That tree is beautiful. It is wonderful to be rooted in a place you love. I think it loves you too!
Thanks you for sharing it with us!
:-)

[Regina Clare Jane]

This was a wonderful post! I would love that tree, too! It's very expressive and seems to invite you in!
I prefer my roots settled, please, like you.

[Crafty Green Poet]

Excellent post, I can relate to your feelings about living in one place for a long time enables you to really understand that place and that being liberating.

[Lisa Oceandreamer]

I really enjoyed this post.
Our poor orange tree, with it's peeling bark and limited growth of leaves now...would ordinarily be destined for a heap of its cut memories. Instead, I have left it rooted where it's been who knows how long and it seems rather happy to lend itself to birds. It stands there still rooted after heavy winds and the heat of summer or the frost of winter. It has withstood all manner of things, including a wayward car that backed in to it, so why uproot it now?
There is something to be said for staying put. (although I wouldn't mind replanting myself closer to the ocean - heehee)
XOXO
Love,
Lisa

[Kamsin]

That is a gorgeous tree, and so sad that people feel the need to put rubbish in it. Glad you've found the place where your roots can be healthy and you can continue to grow.

[Paris Parfait]

Wonderful piece, Terri! And what a wonderful tree. Pity about people using it for litter. I am constantly astounded by people's careless disregard for the environment and throwing trash on the ground, out car windows, etc. xo

[Amber]

What a SUPER post. I love the tree, but your wordsa bout being planted in one place really made me smile and nod...This is what I want, too. Now that I can choose. I want to be brave enough to push my fear aside, and plant my roots. I have been in this town for two years now, and it looks like my husbands job will be here for as long as we can see...And I like it. I am starting to feel like I know it, like you talked about here. I want to know it better. Soon we will buy a house here, and then I look forward to truely letting myself relax...

Hope you are well! I have been a bad blogger lately. ;)

:)

[Tammy]

What an amazing, yawning Pepper tree! I read your post and realized why I've been so unhappy this week. I'm pulling up my roots and re-planting. ;) Wonderful post Tink! XXOO

[Mardougrrl]

I loved this post! It made me miss home, that place where I know all of the little secrets and off-the-beaten-path places. Really wonderful writing...

[Tori]

Lovely words, great photos.
I enjoyed your post.

[Olivia]

"Rooted" IS perfect for Earth Day, tinker. What a beautiful post. Thank you for your inspiration and your support. You're wonderful :)

[gautami]

Loved those pictures of peeper tree. We are connected to our environment. Sometimes we cannot even fathom how.

[bella]

This was so lovely to read. There is a similar tree on top of a mountain near my home. I love trees like this (ours is not a pepper tree) they are definitely enchanting. There is a big part of me that is much like you in the way that I like where I am. Thanks for sharing your story.

[Pacian]

Well this little birdy always likes to roost here a while.

"until we get that whole 'space travel thing' perfected, in a way we're all rooted here on this little planet."

Ah, you've been looking over my shoulder. :-o

[giggles]

Tinker I adore the Pepper tree, (named after my daughter…haha although it’s much older,) and the fact that you cared for the tree with such adoration by removing the trash. There are many beautiful metaphors here. Being rooted is important to me too. I’ve always lived in homes for many years, and have an affinity to my city! Wonderful post for earth day!

Peace Giggles

[Kara]

Tinker, that is one cool tree. I'm so glad to know there are people in this world like you that will visit a tree. I love this Sunday Scribbling topic and you wrote so beautifully about it.

[artzyjudie]

Absolutely wonderful words, as usual! And I love the tree. It must be a very old pepper tree, to have such a big trunk. Yes, I see the face,even before you described it I thought of it yawning. Here, pepper trees are very invasive and people cut them down a lot. Don't even need a permit for cutting a pepper tree. They do destroy the native vegetation, not being native to FL. But I love them and hate to see one cut. If people would just prune them, it could work. They grow like wildfire and require constant care if you keep it.

[Marilyn]

Lovely post. Reading about you picking litter out of that tree's knothole made me think that that might be a perfect spot to leave some guerrilla poetry...to leave some pretty words instead of litter. ;) I need to study trees, because I don't know the names of most of them. Last weekend, walking by the creek, I nearly gasped when I saw some trees in bloom...they were so gorgeous! I have no idea what kind of trees they are, but as kids we used to call them "bottle brush"...because that's what their hot pink flowers look like.