Rapunzel

Granny Sue inspired me to go looking at trees a week or so ago when she wrote about the Greenman and posted some photos she had taken. She had been inspired by a friend's blog that she follows. See how this internet communication works? Sharing interests are so much more entertaining than the dull letters we used to write, like, "We are fine here...how are you?"

Here at Castle Yonder, we are fine because we are surrounded by trees since we live in the middle of 84 acres of up-and-down mountain "knobs." I have long appreciated my arbor friends, and grieved over the loss of about 60 of them, mostly huge oaks growing on hillsides, during the Great Ice Storm of 2003. (We lost a beautiful elm, also, that looked over and guarded our home.) However, I had never looked for faces in them even though I've loved fairytales where the trees take on human characteristics. 

I'm not able to go hiking through the woods now, so I have lost many opportunities to find tree faces. But I am consoled to know they are out there, friendly and protective. Now I have to stick to the road, often just driving the car then getting out and walking a short distance. We even had our road paved because we couldn't stand being jostled and bumped by all the potholes that developed, and asphalt is not friendly to lots of flora. It's amazing what survives on the edges, and even grows through sometimes, but I am sorry that we are leaving a sizable footprint.

I didn't find any Greenman faces, but I did find the fallen and deceased, youthful buds, and mossy feet. I also found this shagbark hickory that made me think about the Rapunzel fairytale. I copied the photo, then cropped the "face" and falling tresses, but I'm not sure if she is Rapunzel or the witch. What do you think?