Saturday, June 16, 2012

Backyard Birches

Donna and Marchin have got a couple of interesting birches growing in their backyard. They are entwined towards the bottom and grow apart as they reach for the sky. Most people like the look of birches, myself included. I think Robert Frost did. He wrote a beauty about them. Today, I have a few logs for show in my office fireplace. I didn't take them down; they came in a load of firewood awhile back. I've always had an eye for birches. Bow and arrow building was a rite of summer. While others in the gang went for the branches in the 'bushes', that lined our baseball diamond, my heart was set on those white-barked trees. We had a couple small birches, down back off Stevens Avenue, and when it came time to make our bow and arrows, I headed for them. Birch branches worked wonders for me. I aways felt they made an extra-flexible bow and provided a kind of unique look. While the others carved their initials in the bow, I didn't have to. The white bow singled me out. I've always have been a bit different, even in bow construction.

13 comments:

  1. Robert Frost must have been thinking of you when he wrote these lines:

    "When I see birches bend to left and right
    Across the lines of straighter darker trees,
    I like to think some boy's been swinging them."

    The tree in your photo looks huge, or it could be the angle of the shot? Like the way you framed it with the green leaves in the background.

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  2. We have river birches down south. Not quite as lovely, but still nice to look at.

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  3. You bring my mind back to when I was a boy, fashioning all sorts of things from tree branches and a pocket knife.

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  4. I love these trees too! They are so photogenic.

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  5. This should be another wonderful chapter in the Mr. Bird book of "growing up in Portland." I feel certain that you have passed these skills to your children.

    Bises,
    Genie

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  6. Love these trees. Great detail in the trunk.

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  7. When living in Minnesota, birches were my favorite trees. Don't find them in Florida but in Colorado, my favorites are the aspens which look similar to birches!

    Nice composition!

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  8. our birch photo is beautiful There is a hidden meaning that I see in the trees -- barbara

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  9. Birch bark is great for getting a camp fire started.

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  10. We love birches too; they have a unique look. Never tried the bow and arrow thing with it.

    Darryl and Ruth :)

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  11. We planted five birches on our property - for the sheer beauty of them. I'm looking out on a pair of them right now.

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