Today thumbimg through my emails, I came across a request to join a tree group on Flickr. Sometimes I forget I have an account there, though they take my money religiously every year. But then I started to thumb through the photos (there are a lot) and I could see the group leader had been looking at my photos of my most favourite place in Yorkshire, the old gnarled hawthorns which goes under the rather unfortunate name of Murk Mire Moor. Here, I have stated that my ashes are to be scattered, even Lucy loves this place. She is always scampering off to go into the beck, much to Paul's horror as he thinks she might drown, I don't.
We are not the only person who comes here, we have met others who have felt the spirit of place that seems to be part of the old hawthorns. See how the roots of the tree seem to grow from the rock. The twisted gnarled trunks remind us that winter has cruel months, the death of bracken looks so much neater that the sweep of leaves that cover our lawns and drive.
Yesterday on the radio they talked of the extinction of the ash tree, (which I have written before) there are millions of this tree but there is a disease slowly taking over. There will be dieback, similar to the elm, of course there will be trees that will not succumb and we should use these trees to replace those that died, in nurseries we should nurture their seeds, in our gardens plant one, so that higgledy-piggledy network of trees once more cover the land.
Not forgetting the magical sacred nature of the Ash tree, the Yygrasdil tree from which Odin hung for nine days.
When I eventually find my photos of the rowan trees further down the beck, I shall put those on. Of course the rowan tree is also magical, especially for the winter birds.
Thatis indeed a lovely place. Sad to hear about the Ask trees in the UK. In folk tales it's a wood frequently used for magic wands.
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DeleteIt definitely feels special, I think it is a 'Tree Day' today. Funnily enough, our neighbours who own the land behind our house is to have tree surgeons come in on Sunday and fell an old beech tree in the copse behind our back garden.
Lovely place judging from your photographs Thelma. When Dutch elm struck we had three elms in our garden (this was at the time of my previous marriage) - all three succumbed and had to be felled. Now the one tree I see from my back garden is a huge ash tree = I do hope it doesn't succumb to die back.
ReplyDeleteNormally disease starts in the South and then moves up North, so maybe it won't happen. I think regeneration has taken place with elms Remember the 'great storm' when everyone was worried about replanting, but the forests/woods grew their own.
ReplyDeleteYou are truly blessed to be surrounded by such vast beauty where you life. A great place to have ashes scattered (if that is not being too flippant.)
ReplyDeleteNope Tabor, some of us like to be rather flippant about the next stage and I wouldn't want my spirit to be traipsing round the motorway:)
DeleteI have never seen a Hawthorn tree. It is remarkable looking. I find such sadness in cutting down or losing a tree, especially if it is one we have come to know and appreciate.
ReplyDeleteThe hawthorn tree is the most common shrub/tree you find in our hedgerows, it flowers white blossom in spring covering the countryside, though there is a 'sport' called Midland hawthorn which is a lovely deep red. And then in Autumn has a mass of berries which the birds love.
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