Spring stirred oaks dancing
Deep in the oak woods, something stirs. Tiny creaks and crackles fill the spaces between the air with gossamer wisps of sound.The sap hidden beneath the crusty crackled skin of bark begins its upwards journey towards the wooden finger tips of the trees. The earth turns back towards the sun, and the unstoppable yearly process of growth and decay, turns the trees out of winter and into spring. But look a little deeper and this grand yearly cycle is nestled like a Russian doll within far greater, longer cycles of process and change.
Viking warrior bares belly
Lightening is drawn inevitably, like a tragic star struck lover, towards the heartwood of oak. The bleached lightening struck branches gleam like bones, revealing the first step in the big process of decay from life.
Broken limb, fallen dancer
Weakened by the heaven sent fury, the ground is littered with the fallen carcasses of limbs once swaying in the summer breeze, reaching towards the sky.
Rope twist in wood
The contact with the earth sets off the next stage in the process of decay. The bark falls like flesh, and the grain in the wood is chiseled out by millions of tiny organisms, unseen by human eye. The wood is re-clothed with moss, fungi and lichen, as its structure softens further, releasing its hard held form back into the soft earth.
Wood to earth – new hope
In the end, the strength of the tree dissolves into soil, and tiny acorns are nourished by its soft life giving blanket. Change and process are hidden all around us in unseen layers within layers, if only we have the eyes to see. The stately process has come full circle, and the earth breathes out, into growth, and into the next layer of the Russian doll of life.
To see more ideas of process decribed with pictures and words visit the weekly challenge
breathofgreenair 
Beautiful writing and photos! I wish I could write like yours..This post has it all! Great work!!
Indah, what a kind comment…….but I do think you write and shoot beautifully yourself 🙂
You need to take part in a contest for one of the best
blogs on the web. I’m going to highly recommend this site!
You were right, I did like the photos a lot. I like the way you think about what you are seeing, write about and contemplate the world.
Very kind, thank you. It’s hard not to have magical thoughts when you’re walking somewhere as inspiring as this 🙂 and I have to return the compliment and say how much I enjoy your imagination and your writing.
Thank you!
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some fantastic images here. that first one is sheer eye candy. thanks for sharing.
What a gorgeous comment. Glad you enjoyed the eye candy 🙂
Beautiful pics…have aptly captured the essence of nature…
Russia, beautiful nature, beautiful words.
Thank you 🙂
What a beautiful post! I wish I could write like that. Thank you for sharing 🙂
That’s so kind. I find some days the words roll out almost effortlessly, and other days they won’t come at all 🙂
This is beautifully done.
Thank you 🙂
I especially liked the Spring Stirred Oaks Dancing. It reminds me of a passage in T. H. Whites “The Sword in The Stone,” in which the Wart as an owl is taken to see Athena, and she gives him the vision of the life of the earth, including the Dream of Trees. .
In the past couple of years I’ve planted over 500 trees on my hilltop near Kansas City, Missouri. Some grow fast, and others more slowly.
OHD
Oh I love this…the Dream of Trees…what lovely image 🙂 your hilltop sounds amazing. Are they native trees you’ve planted or more exotic species?
Reblogged this on Oyia Brown.
I love your description of the changes of nature. Written with a discerning and loving heart. Even if your photos are so beautiful, your real talent is in your words. Or both. Thank you.
Oh thank you 🙂 the words are the talent I doubt…the images I feel confident with…..so this is such a blessing to hear. Thanks to you for letting me know how you feel.
Hi, Seoneid, I’m sending a link to some of my old photos that I’ve just uploaded, I hope you’ll like them. These bring back lots of memories to me, which, however, I can’t put into words … So, only photos:
http://speterphotoblog.wordpress.com/2013/02/26/trips-in-the-borzsony-mts-hungary/
I hope html is not rejected by the site …
What great photos…..I can see why they bring back memories. Thanks so much for sharing the link 🙂
Thank you so much for blog I am really enjoy it to discover something new, please stop on my blog and Facebook also I have second blog: http://about.me/meleshyusrimas
Love your pictures of trees – my favorite ‘God’s-creation’ on the planet.
Indeed 🙂
Great post!
Thanks for taking the time to read and look 🙂
Thanks for asking the time to read and look 🙂 glad you liked it
Beautiful! Trees and forests are so relaxing.
Thank you….these woods can be very relaxing, and then at other times they feel full of wild energy 🙂
This is beautiful!
Thanks Cameron, nature is a great muse 🙂
This is really lovely! Your descriptions were so vivid I felt like I was there. – nanc
Thank you, I’m really glad you enjoyed the journey. It is a beautiful place to walk, and I have more photos and thoughts to share about this ancient woodland 🙂
I really like your blog and would love you to feature on mine, http://www.5thingstodotoday.com. All you have to do is write five suggestions along with a link back to your site. Please check out the blog and see the sort of things people have written about. It wont cost you anything and your post will be on a google ranked 3 site. Many Thanks. David
Thanks David, I took a look at your site and will get back to you with an idea I have for a post 🙂
Amazing photographs, enlivened by beautiful descriptive prose. Thank you for visiting and liking my blog.
You’re very welcome 🙂 Lovely that you stopped by and commented.
That was moving, deep, beautiful. Such a great post
Thanks, I’m really glad you enjoyed it. Nature is a great muse, revealing the layers of her secrets, when we pause to look properly 🙂
A very catchy title, I’ve only started to read because of it. Russian dolls called ‘Matreshka’ by the way. A very interesting read. Thank you!
Matreshka….I didn’t know that’s their name in Russian…..it has a beautiful sound. Thanks for teaching me something new. I had a set of these dolls as a child and they fascinated me. I wonder what the history behind them is? Thanks for the lovely feedback 🙂
I found an article on the Internet where they said that a Russian businessman brought a figure from Japan & Russian craftsmen turned it into their own craft adding more figures to go inside in 1870’s. His name was Mamontov.
Wow….that’s so interesting. From Japan to Russia 🙂 Thanks for taking the time to look this up
Hi, on the other hand, Wikipedia states that matryoshki (you have to insert the ‘y’ for the soft ‘o’ sound, because that ‘e’ is pronounced /io/ in Russian for the cyrillic letter ‘ё’) were first “carved in the 1890’s by Vasily Zvyozdochkin from a design by Sergey Malyutin, who was a folk crafts painter at Abramtsevo.” Mamontov was the businessman owning the Abramtsevo estate. Further, “Zvyozdochkin and Malyutin were inspired by a doll from Honshu, the main island of Japan. Sources differ in descriptions of the doll, describing it as either a round, hollow daruma doll or a fukuruma nesting doll portraying portly bald old Buddhist monk.” Thanks for inspiring me to find out about this famous artifact that I’ve known for a long time without knowing its history.
And thanks for sharing what you found out! I love to stop and think about things which are easy to take for granted because we think we know them 🙂
beautiful post! thanks for sharing!
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Sorry to have distracted you from writing your blog…..but I’m delighted you enjoyed it so much 🙂
woodland looks so beutiful amazing pictures
thankyou
clare
Reblogged this on almond meal.
Thanks for the reblog…..what a delightful surprise 🙂
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The beauty and mystery of trees…
Indeed, they hold lots of wisdom…and patience
These are incredible photos! I always enjoyed the sight of tree trunks because they tell so much 🙂
Thanks, it’s a pretty incredible woodland, and there are so many amazing trees….I will be posting more of the photos I took, very soon. I love what you say about tree trunks telling stories….I bet they’ve seen some interesting sights in their time 🙂
If only they could talk huh 🙂 🙂
Oh yes….I’m sure they would have tales to tell. It makes me think of all the change they will have seen over their 600 years…but also all the things which don’t change….like human nature 🙂
Yeah, human nature is like that isn’t it? one step forward and two steps back but hey there’s room for progress lol
Amazing photos! And i love the accompanying text.
Congratulations on being Freshly Pressed!
Thank you, I’m glad you enjoyed the post…..only just realised I was freshly pressed…what a surreal surprise 🙂
Oh great. Congrats once again!
Change and process remains obscure for our reluctance to see stems from fear of loss unknowing it is the cycle of life.
So true….fear of loss makes us hide from so much. Yet the truth is that everything is in constant change…nothing remains the same. Change is the only constant, and just as we trust that each out breath will be followed by a new in breath, so we should trust that life will bring us new inspiration.
I enjoyed the gorgeous pictures, when I was 9, I had a tree swing and as I sat there I would talk to it, and I often imagined it talking back, I named it, but can’t remember “His” name now.
I never really told anyone about me talking to the tree before.
I think when we are little we allow ourselves to see a little more creatively…and tree swings are awesome…I had one in an apple tree in my garden and spent hours just swinging, nothing else seemed urgent 🙂
Such beautiful words to go with such beautiful pictures! Those oaks have so much character–the circle of life continues…
Such beautiful words to go with your beautiful pictures! Those oaks have such character. The circle of life continues…
Isnt it amazing how much character we can see in nature when we open our eyes to look 🙂 The cycles within cycles always amaze me when I stop to think…
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Beautiful! Words and pictures together – a lovely evening treat! Oaks are certainly majestic and their aura is one of wisdom.
Indeed, and I know we share a love of these trees 🙂 Glad you enjoyed!
This is lovely and would make a very good 100 Steps! Hope you will consider joining in at some point. http://chittlechattle.com/todays-100/
Hi, I will definitely get round to joining in your 100 steps. It’s funny as after reading your snowdrops post I was thinking, this would be a really nice challenge to follow 🙂
🙂
Look forward to seeing your pictures.
You have such beautiful pictures throughout your blog! I’ve enjoyed getting to look through some of them and hope to make time to venture into more! They also are accompanied by nice thoughts phrased perfectly! Keep up the awesome work and thanks for the feedback with my blog! 🙂
Such lovely comments, thank you 🙂 I love photography, and blogging has been a great way to share what I see with others. Writing I also love, but am less confident about!
Well I think you’re doing great in both areas! Thanks for sharing 🙂
What a beautiful analogy. I love nature as a muse and these oaks and the moss along with the lightening’s remnants and scars were perfect models for your photography and craft with words. It really makes me long for a walk in the woods and spring to return!!!
Thank you Janine, this particular spot is very inspiring indeed. It’s as though the trees have infused the whole space with their energy, and they just sweep you up into it. There was a whisper of spring in the air today 🙂
I cannot wait to see what you have to share with us when spring graces your camera lens again!! 🙂
Wow. Nice location. I wish I could spend an afternoon there. Brilliant choice of subject. D
I was spoilt for choice here! These are a fraction of what I took……I plan to share some more with a different focus soon 🙂
Just clicked to follow … looking forward to more images of delightful trees! D
Those trees are gnarled and beautiful! What a great series of captures and prose too!
Very kind. It’s funny when I write a post I never have an idea if others will connect with what I’ve written or photographed….so glad you liked this one…. It’s very reassuring 🙂
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I love ‘Spring stirred oaks dancing’. Just excellent. Had to share on FB. And you’ve been so prolific lately! Spring’s getting to you too! xx
Thanks David, I love those trees too. I got some more great shots of their movements and poses, which I’ll share later. It’s true the sunny days have filled me with energy and action, but a weeks holiday has also helped 🙂 xx
Lovely photography 🙂
I’m so glad you enjoyed it. I took these photos, along with some others, at the weekend in an ancient oak pasture near my home in Scotland. This weekly challenge was the perfect chance to use these shots 🙂
They all are amazing. I just love watching & reading it also. You’re lucky to have a home in such a beautiful place. Nature bless all of us hope we human also show some respect to it. 🙂
and beautiful photography
Very kind, thank you. I ended up using far more words than I intended….I was hoping a poem might tumble from the keyboard, but alas no:-)
lmao, it’s always the way 🙂
So true 🙂
many a poem has been thrown away
for want of the mind that knows what to say.
you jus cured my writing block 🙂
its a nice vision you gave me:
‘a poem might tumble from the keyboard.’
Oh I’m so glad to have helped…..can’t wait to see what you create 🙂
well said