Each tree sets forth a fractal pattern of growth that emulates the forest at a lesser scale. When we can slow our thought down to a pace where we can feel the heartbeat of a tree, then we have demonstrated the patience to work directly with Gaia. The natural resources of Gaia belong to all life forms at every scale; the manifestation of human is simply our weigh of perceiving the collective whole on the scale that we live upon.
Every tree talks to adjacent trees and thinks in human terms as a tree - never perceiving a difference between tree cognizance and its time frame. Trees only see humans when we fall asleep leaning against one, imagine the Rip Van Winkle story from the tree's perspective. Peter Thompkins (1968?); The Secret Life of Plants should give us enough clues as to how to perceive tree as a human, but never comes close to perceiving human as a tree.
Just a people have familiar pets, there are trees in my life that have been friends over a long haul on human time, a brief wisp in the life of tree. Some of my favorites bear description here - how often do people get to tell their favorite tree stories? I may even be able to dig up a photo or two too.
The why tree at the Wild Rose Vinyard has to be the oddest tree that i ever met. Growing half-way up the far hill, the tree has two 90 degree bends that cause about three feet of tree to have grown sideways. The form of the tree looks like a question mark, I have always wondered what could have caused the form of horizontal growth, and why is it no longer there?
The giant madrone at Wonder Earth is also an amazing tree. I had a class measure the circumference of the tree as a function of height off the ground and introduced fractals to high school youth at an alternative school. Kids are open to learning experience, they just dont wish to be told what to do. Give them the toys of science and allow them to explore on their own- one on one with nature. Sure beats a classroom.
At Toketee Hot Springs, on the path on the opposite side of the river are the pair of guardian trees that serve as my welcomehome buddies. The two of them are about 10 yards from each other, right on the path as it goes down before ascending the side of the pyramid. I always stop to toke at these trees - and often am rewarded with presents, like feathers, matsutakes and chantrelles, in different seasons. That i can lean on these trees and share my gratitude with Gaia for such a wonderful place is highly fulfilling.
My favorite tree is a fir on my homescape in southern Oregon. When i needed the time to think, i would head to the glade and lean upon this tree. I was able to transplant many things in my own personal little forest - and had communication with many trees through this master fir. One tree provided a home for white truffles and another had black carbon balls. We also had a tree at the far end of the property that produced an annual flush of oyster mushrooms.
There is a small blue spruce outside the door here who has become my latest tree buddy. I notice the full spruce cones on the ground from last year and picked up a few for the collection. With the crazy weather patterns of this year, this spruce is putting on new cones, on selected branches, not everywhere. How unusual. My kind of tree to hang out with - Goof hides under her and watches the bird feeder.
To relate to trees requires me to slow down my breathing, and to be in the presence of now. A touch has to last for over a minute before the tree can even sense that you are there, at least the first time. There are clues in the form that the tree takes, yet we are not in the time frame of tree to even begin to understand the thinking process of tree, from this human perspective. Yet to be in tune with Gaia, it is a good place for a novice to start.
namaste' ... doc
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