Wednesday, March 6, 2019

On Trees and Forests


sunset as seen through trees in Safed

With the aid of new technology, Police has only recently solved the case of rape and murder of a young woman found in a forest near Jerusalem 26(!!) years ago.

There were, sadly, many cases in the past, of  dead bodies found in the forests. That, and the wild fires that break out almost every year make me sometimes say "I love trees, I don't love forests". 
I'm aware, of course, of their huge importance to the planet; they are in fact the 'lungs' of the planet and stabilze climate by turning CO2 into oxygen, preserve the soil and support wildlife. And still...

Anyway, I do like those patches of forest arranged specially for picnics and recreation which bring  lots of pleasure and joy to people..


picnic area - Mizpe Ramon

picnic spot - Forest of the Martyrs near Jerusalem

As for trees, I love them all; the  fruit- bearing trees as well as the other species. Unlike the gloomy forest, the individual trees are bright and mood uplifting.

It goes without saying that we love fruit trees for giving us the best food on earth. I cannot imagine life without fruit. I eat them in all the forms possible: raw, cooked, with seeds, without seeds, and enjoy them immensely. I feel they are the true elixir of life.


cherries from the Golan Heights

 However, it is also those single trees,  fulfilling  a specific crucial function  in specific areas, that attract my attention; the trees providing shade in the desert, serving as lookout, marking a boundary, creating an urban 'green lung', ... the list is endless.


provides shade for animals in the desert (the Alpaca Farm) - desert

trees provide  shade to a cute  little puddle area

attraction on the Yarkon river bank - sort of decorative tree 

marks the boundary between town, cemetery, industrial zone

Green  tiny corner  ('lung'), for the passersby of Bialik street (Ramat-Gan )


49 comments:

  1. Here is to our wonderful trees, I am proud of the ones I planted in my back yard, they have done so well over the years.

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    1. You should be. I hope they give you plenty of fruit/shade/beautiful views.

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  2. I love trees, and am fascinated by their changing patterns of life throughout the year. We have fruit blossoms starting to appear on the fruit trees, and they are beautiful. I want to hold on to the sight of them!

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    1. Trees are indeed fascinating, especially during the blossoming process in Spring, when they wake up from the dormant stage of winter.

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  3. I, too, love trees especially the pines. We probably have probably brought in too many on our lot. But it goes with the street name, Forest View! We have apple and peach trees and this winter it stayed colder so maybe they have a chance this spring as opposed to other years when it gets too warm too fast and they start to bloom, then comes cold weather again to kill the fruit blooms. Oh, I can taste the peach pies!!!

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    1. 'Forest View' - lovely street name!
      Peach and apple pies are the best!
      I like pines too, but once, I got incidently stung by a pine needle leave; since then, I try not to come close to this kind of tree.

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  4. Beautiful pictures! I agree. I like trees. I'm not too fond of forests though. It's amazing all of the different tasks tress cans take on. I love the decorative one on the Yarkon river bank.

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    1. Thanks.
      Yes, the tasks'list is long. It's also interesting to note that trees can adapt to all kinds of conditions even better than humans.

      The tree on the Yarkon river bank has grown in a peculiar way and attracts visitors in the surrounding Yarkon park (Tel-Aviv).

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  5. Lovely post - yes, trees are essential to the planet.

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    1. Thank you.
      Trees have great health, environmental, and economic value. We,humans, and our planet greatly benefit of their presence. Their growth requires, however, care and maintenance.

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  6. The world would be worse off if there were no trees around for shelter, shade and protection in some cases.

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    1. True. I can't even imagine a world without trees. Trees can survive/grow even in the worst of places, such as radiation striken ones like Chernobyl. However, in these places, Man cannot survive (not for long). So, perhaps only wild life gets some tree benefits.

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  7. I love trees and feel their special power and purpose. I always feel personal pain when somebody cuts a tree. My family, sadly, is very ignorant and enjoys cutting trees which is why they've turned our yard, which had more than ten conifer trees when we moved in, into a desert. Without any trees we are now unprotected from sun, rain, blizzards, everything and I cannot stand it, but there is nothing I can do about it sadly. It is kinda like what happened to China, when they destroyed the grassy steppes of Inner Mongolia by excessive hunt on wolves which led to the overpopulation of hamsters, badgers and antelopes who then grazed all of the grass and now the desert winds are destroying Beijing with sand storms. People are just idiots .... the ones I live with especially :)

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    1. In order to get all the benefits that trees can bestow upon us, we need to take care of them, and that's not always easy.
      (There's this 'arboculture', a branch of agriculture that does that well).

      Speaking of family, I've got a relative who's an agronomist by profession (retired from work as a biology teacher). Her yard is.. empty; no trees, and very few flowers. "Too much work, and expensive water", she said, to her defence(water is indeed a problem in our country).

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    2. it is true that people sometimes don't bother with what their profession is in private life. Barbers and hairdressers often have horrible hair, doctors often smoke and neglect their health, teachers quite often have the most horrible children :), why is it like that, I've no idea! I myself am a teacher but I hate teaching privately LOL My father who was a cook never really cooked at home. I once asked him, after he worked for 40 years as a cook, how many potatoes do I need to peel for family lunch and he said he did not know. Go figure...

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    3. So very true!
      There's a proverbial saying (it has several versions) "The shoemaker goes barefoot", meaning that a knowledgeable person is the last one to benefiit from his expertise.
      I've also asked myself 'why is that so'. Well, no idea.

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  8. Yes, we are hearing of more crimes being solved because of modern technology - justice finally being met.
    I'm with you in loving fruit of all kinds.
    That's really nice how you've brought forward many uses that trees fulfil - what a barren world it would be without them.
    Cheers Duta, lovely catching up with you again :D)

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    1. It's a good feeling about technology greatly contributing to justice being done. All this DNA thing is huge!

      Yes, fruit...there's hardly a fruit on the market that I'll not eat. Those fruit that are not 'friendly' to my digestion will be cooked for 10-15 minutes, and ..voila!

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  9. I love trees especially when the wind blows through them. We have lived in some hot humid places and even a small tree gives off some shade which is needed when you live on the equator. I can't imagine a would without trees either. Good read, lovely pictures.

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    1. Beautiful imagery in your first sentence: the wind blowing through the trees.
      I totally agree with you. In hot places, even a small tree is a great gift.
      Thanks for your kind words in the concluding sentence of your comment.

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  10. What a beautiful post! Our trees still sleep. Soon spring will be here! Yours are lovely to see.

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    1. Thank you.
      Your trees are still dormant, but by the end of the month they'll awake from their winter sleep and start filling the air with fragrance and the gardens with magic sights.

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  11. I am pleased that more crimes are being solved because of the advances in modern technology, it must help bring closure to many families.

    I've always enjoyed being near trees, not only the beauty they give but the benefits too.

    I enjoyed seeing your photographs, and those cherries look delicious.

    All the best Jan

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    1. Closure is very important to the family of the victim, even though it won't bring back their beloved, and the loss is forever.
      Oh, those cherries..are delicious indeed. Pity the season is so short!

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  12. A lot of people are posting about woods and trees this week. I'm glad because I love them all. You have some beautiful woods in this post. All kinds. I love fruit and flower trees for their gifts to us, but birch are a favorite and dogwood. So many. Thanks for this one. And for stopping by my blog, too!

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    1. It's a lovely subject, but my trigger for this post was a past tragedy and the solving of the 'Who did it mystery'. I felt glad the criminal was found and brought to justice.

      I sort of like 'the weeping birch' if I happen to see one. I know birch trees and shrubs are very abundant in your places of North America and its uses and benefits very appreciated.

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  13. Here it's wet and cold so nobody really wants to go in the woods ! But normally I like it well too. As I don't have your email I have to answer your comment here, of course I make sure that the cllothes are ending in the right hands. It's a small organization of volunteers who take care of the very poors in our city. They distribute food and clothes to the once who are registred as not having enough money for living.

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    1. In winter it's not great fun to go to the woods: cold, rainy, windy,snowy...
      We've got mediterranean climate with many sunny, warm days even in winter, so picnics are done all year round.

      Sometimes, clothes donated fall into the hands of merchants, so awareness is required.

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  14. This could be an analogy for people. Some are open and invite others in (picnic area), some bare fruit we cannot live without, some are part of a large group like a thick forest, some stand alone in a strategic place providing shade.

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    1. I like your analogy very much, Sandy. We and trees have a lot of traits in common; inviting (or not), bearing fruit (children, fruit),being part of a community (or forest), loners, solitary trees etc..

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  15. Here, too, crimes are being solved decades after the fact. That's a good thing, but too often, by then, the guilty party has passed on. As far as trees, they have ALWAYS been my favorite part of nature. Where I live in Wisconsin, we have a lot of forests and trees everywhere. Birch trees are indigenous to our north woods, but not the weeping type you are speaking of. We have a very large variety of trees, and our forests are mostly evergreens (not my favorite). Nice post, DUTA.

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    1. Well, 'better late than never'. During the last years, technology has greatly contributed to the success of crime investigations.

      Most people I know regard trees as the best part of Nature. I suppose the people of Wisconsin feel themselves lucky with so many forests and trees everywhere.

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  16. Oh some gorgeous tree over there. I love trees and forest Walking in the bush is the most pleasurable and calming thing for me to do. Love fruit trees too Just picked a royal gala apple from the tree

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    1. Of course, you love. I remember in your recent posts, there was a picture of a solitary tree on a rock, and another one in the water near a lake, "wispering in the wind" - amazing pictures!
      Enjoy the apples of your tree!

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  17. Lovely post of Trees!! Beautiful photos! I enjoyed seeing all your different views and sensitive eye for the details like the puddle and the decorative trees. ♡

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    1. I don't know why, but the 'puddle picture' is one of my favorite pictures I ever took. There's something about this puddle and the surrounding earth and trees that fascinates me.
      Anyway, thanks for your kind words, Shayndel.

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    2. Thank you Duta! It is intriguiging, I just looked at it again, and its precious, the puddle even has a sense of a mirror, and even though it must be just a shallow puddle, the trees reflect deeply in it, as does the sky. Its a precious moment that you saw and became one with. Thank you for your comment on my post today too, I was touched by it and your depth of understanding!!

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    3. Amazing how well you understand me! The picture is exactly the way you describe it. I even thought of it in terms of beginning of the Creation (Bereshit - Genesis).
      As for my comment on your blog, you're welcome.

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  18. The forests are really beautiful. When I was younger we used to travel to the national parks and forests and go camping.

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    1. On weekends and national holydays, the parks and forests are 'overflown' with visitors. Picnics and recreation activities are very popular among israelis.

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  19. I love all trees, singly, in groups, in forests. I grew up with trees, a wide river and far skies. Actually, I just love being out in the wilderness. My local wilderness is rather manicured, the sheep eat everything flat.

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    1. I'm a Nature lover, and a great lover of trees myself. However, I feel age has its limitations in this respect too. I'm more careful about where I live, where I go.I keep away from flooding rivers and dark forests. In winter, I won't approach even the sea as I usually come back home with a nasty cold.

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  20. Picnic spots with trees around is a welcome delight.

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    1. "a welcome delight",indeed ,Haddock.
      Spring is here, and the picnic spots are full with families on weekends. Hopefully, they won't leave litter behind but put it into the available bins.

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  21. Not only is this a beautiful piece on the natural essence of trees, but I also saw in your words "I love trees, I don't love forests” a profound spiritual metaphor, i.e. the individual’s purpose vs the collective. Yes, forests are vital, but without individual trees there’d be no life-sustaining forest.

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    1. As a writer you see things that we ordinary people don't,such as metaphors.
      Thanks for your beautiful, kind words.

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  22. Fruit trees are indeed a blessing.

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    1. Oh, yes - definitely. I think about that everyday when I eat my fruit portion, raw or cooked. It's God's finest gift to us, humans.

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  23. Much harm can be done in forests and parks, I understand.
    We love our forest. I know who has been here, especially with a trailcam!

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