IN PRAISE OF TREES~TREE WALK June 22, 2021
The neighborhood is a whole new world, a beautiful place to capture the essence of the moment.
Most days, I leave the house eager and return inspired.
Dogs are everywhere, requiring poop bags. Cats roam the streets in the very early hours waiting for the cat lady who deposits curbside food. I've always been passionate about trees. Growing up I climbed them, read books in them, and day dreamed about the characters in them.
My own yard has a Mulberry tree that leave it’s litter on the walkway. The birds and squirrels are delighted to scamper around availing themselves of provided food. 
The lemon tree is loaded and the fig tree is exhibiting its potential fruit in the near future.
The lemon tree is loaded and the fig tree is exhibiting its potential fruit in the near future.
The Chinese Flame tree has been providing shade and enjoyment.
My morning hunting expeditions usually focus on one particular aspect of my neighborhood. Sometimes it feels like a special escape.
My aim has been to define, describe and highlight the multidimensional aspects of the four quadrants that make up my neighborhood.
While there is a certain sadness watching how it has changed through the years, the memories of things that were there, but not anymore remain.
It’s time to talk about trees. June 22, 2020
Today, I’d like to focus on the humble tree. One neighborhood feature is the myriad of trees.
A tree-lined street means the difference between a comfortable walk or and an unpleasant hot forced march. With the shade and a nice breeze, my walks can be amazingly and pleasing to the eye. 
Trees matter.
They create a pleasant walk. I love tree canopies and I began to look more closely at them.
As much as I enjoy spring, I am looking forward to celebrating the breakdown of chlorophyll and the revelation of anthocyanins which make sweet gums so spectacular in the fall.
Tree lined streets motivate me to become more active and less sedentary.
Since my neighborhood was born in 1949 into the early 50’s, the trees are well established and in their, mature, prime old age beauty.
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| Olive tree |
“They found that those who live in areas with more street trees reported better health perception than those in neighborhoods with fewer trees. Regardless of their actual health, they felt they were healthier. But it turns out they were actually healthier too: they suffered from fewer cardio-metabolic conditions.”
Recently the eucalyptus tree has garnered my attention. In fact, I have passed these attractive additions with interesting bark and foliage many times. I have encountered the rainbow eucalyptus,
punctuated by a colorful and dramatic display on the trunk of the tree and the display of peeling bark. The shedding bark on a eucalyptus tree is one of its most charming features.
As the bark dries and peels, it often forms colorful patches and interesting patterns on the trunk of the tree.
The bark comes off in flakes curls or long strips. In rough bark eucalyptus, the bark doesn’t fall off as easily, but accumulates in entwined, stringy mess.
In the 1850s, Eucalyptus trees were introduced to California by Australians during the California Gold Rush as Much of California is similar in climate to parts of Australia.
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