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Aspen make me smile. They have a clever little trick. Their stems are flattened, vertically -- and that means they shimmer and shake in the slightest breeze, as if they are waving to me.
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Dale and I have been enjoying camping in the Klamath Basin this fall. When we first reach the edge of the Basin, the transition zone between forest and marsh, we are greeted with groves of quaking aspen, probably my favorite tree. Even their latin name speaks of their wonderful ability to simmer and shake in the fall sunshine, Populus tremuloides. At this time of year whole groves are bursts of yellow. Other groves have already been stripped bare, waiting for winter.
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In the morning the moon rides high in the sky, the smooth part facing upwards towards the sun. No Sexy Lady there.
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Very nice, I especially like the sketch of the full tree.
ReplyDeleteThere is an old legend that the quaking aspen is a man who transformed himself to escape the wrath of an angry medicine man. The medicine man turned himself into the wind to search more widely and every time he passes by the man hidden as the aspen the hidden man trembles in fear.
What an interesting legend! .... but I think my aspen tremble with joy not fear. I'll have to write a new legend!
DeleteHi, I'm over in Medford. I've been walking past a small grove of aspen for years. They just lost their leaves. Wish I would have painted them before they fell. Another year.
ReplyDeleteLovely, Elva...I enjoyed both your sketches and the words.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Kate. Your words are as evocative as your sketches. Well done. I also like writingfornature's tale. I will look more closely now. We don't have aspen where I live in VA but my river birch do a similar dance.
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