If Trees Had Souls

If God had given trees souls, I don't think their souls would be found in the loveliness of their spring flowers and budding leaves, or even in the magnificent glory of their colorful fall foliage. If, indeed, trees had souls, I think they would be found in their roots -- the roots that anchor them to the earth and keep them straight and nurture them as they grow.

I love taking pictures of trees, and have discovered that sometimes the twisted and tangled roots of a tree are more interesting and just as beautiful as its flowers and foliage. Here are a few pictures from my collection which, I think, illustrate this perfectly.

Tangled roots of an old magnolia tree located on the grounds of the Old Court House Museum in Vicksburg, Mississippi.

More magnolia roots ...

I captured these huge roots of an old oak tree in an antebellum neighborhood in Natchez, Mississippi.

I found these moss-covered roots on the side of a road in Vicksburg.

The roots of this old magnolia tree, located in the National Cemetery inside the Vicksburg National Military Park, embrace grave markers of soldiers who died during the Siege of Vicksburg.

I love the roots of this magnificent Gingko tree, also located in the cemetery of the Military Park. The tree is approximately 240 years old, based on the size of its trunk.

This picture, which was taken during winter, gives us a glimpse of what the roots of a tree look like underground. It amazes me that trees can live with their roots exposed like that, but those are, indeed, alive and struggling to hold on to their tentative grasp of the soil crumbing around them.

After looking at these pictures, perhaps you can understand why I say, "If trees had souls, you could find them in their roots."

Outdoor Wednesday: Fall Lagniappe

I'd like to thank our gracious hostess Susan at A Southern Daydreamer, for taking the time to host our "Outdoor Wednesdays." Be sure to visit Susan and see her amazing photos of some wild turkeys in "full strut," and follow the links to visit more of Susan's Outdoor Wednesday friends.

I'd like to share a slide show I created from some of the pictures I've taken this fall. Be sure and turn your speakers up if you'd like to hear the music, which is the theme song from Dances with Wolves.

Thank you for visiting me. I hope your Wednesday is filled with sunshine and lots of smiles.

Still Watching and Waiting for the Ginkgos

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a post called Ginkgo, One of Fall's Most Glorious Trees, featuring pictures of a large ginkgo at the Old Court House Museum here in Vicksburg. Yesterday, I went back by the court house to see if the leaves had turned yet, and here are the pictures I captured while I was there.

It's gorgeous, but hasn't quite reached the peak of its fall color.

After I left the court house, I drove over to the Vicksburg National Military Park to check on the ginkgos there. There is one in particular in the National Cemetery that I have photographed many times, but have never managed to capture in the fall.

Just look at its huge trunk.

I'd love to know how old it is and think I will try to find out. It is, without a doubt, the largest and most magnificent ginkgo I've ever seen, and I don't want to miss its fall show. I just love this old tree!

Here is another old one whose leaves have just begun to turn.

I love its beautiful trunk, too!

I plan to keep an eye on the big ginkgo tree, and hope I can share it with you when it is at its peak. In the meantime, I'm going to try to learn something about its age and history. If only it could talk!

Ginkgo: One of Fall's Most Glorious Trees

When I was at the Old Court House Museum this week taking pictures of the dogwood trees, I noticed a huge old Ginkgo Tree, also known as a "Maidenhair Tree." It's almost time for their leaves to start turning, and they are truly a sight to behold.

The Ginkgo is the world's oldest living species of tree and can live a long time, some up to a thousand years. In general, ginkgo trees will grow from about 80 to 100 feet tall, and here are a couple of large ginkgoes located in the Vicksburg National Military Park. I would love to know how old these trees are ...

You can tell some of the leaves are just beginning to turn on this one ...

I love the ginkgo leaves. They are fan-shaped, and will suddenly turn a pure, dazzling yellow in the fall, remaining for awhile on the tree, then suddenly dropping, virtually all at the same time. I can't wait to try to capture some pictures of the trees in Vicksburg, when they're at their peak. I say, "try," because it's not going to be easy task to catch them before the leaves fall.

This is a close up of some leaves that were turning on the tree at the courthouse (you can click on the pictures to enlarge them, if you'd like).

One of the reasons the tree at the courthouse caught my eye was because of the seed pods under it. They looked like little wrinkled up persimmons, soft and fleshy and "squishy," for lack of a better word, when I stepped on them taking pictures of the tree.

I had never seen the fruit of a ginkgo tree and, after "googling" them, I found out that the female trees produce the fruit-like pods, which are actually the seeds covered by the soft outer skin (the trees in the military park must be "guys," because they didn't have any fruit under them).

I thought it was neat, the way this little pod was perched on the root of the tree.

Of all the pictures I took that day at the courthouse, the next two are my favorites. This is a seed pod that had not fallen yet, and I love the raindrops clinging to it and the leaves around it.

If you would like to see my post featuring pictures I took of the dogwood trees at the courthouse, including close ups of their seed pods, click here: To Everything There is a Season: Dogwood.

I plan to write a follow-up post on the Ginkgos soon, after I get pictures of them when their leaves turn. Hopefully, it won't just be pictures of puddles of golden leaves beneath bare branches. But then, that's going to make some pretty pictures, too!