Janet Brien's photos with the keyword: curls

One of ipernity's fine personalities is my friend Shelby , who is as talented as she is sweet and wonderful. She also has a darling habit of finding hearts in pictures and pointing them out. If she doesn't find a heart, she finds something sweet to add a ❤ symbol to. Today while I was puttering up the hillside, studying everything I passed by, I found myself staring at one of Shelby's hearts! Now, how did she get here, I wonder?! :D Shelby, I know your heart's been hurting over the loss of your dear kitty, Frisco, but I hope this picture will make you smile and lighten your heart just a little. *big hugs* By the way, this heart is actually a special formation on some tree trunks called a burl. Wiki's description says, "A burl (American English) or bur or burr (used in all non-US English speaking countries) is a tree growth in which the grain has grown in a deformed manner. It is commonly found in the form of a rounded outgrowth on a tree trunk or branch that is filled with small knots from dormant buds." Burls are very special because the wood inside is often a beautiful swirled texture of two colors and they are prized by woodworkers for creating magnificent wood items like pens, bowls, clocks, and many other things. If you would like to read more about burls from Wiki, you can read the article here: Wikipedia: Burl . If you would like to see pictures of items created from manzanita burls, you can see some here: Google Image Search: Manzanita Burl Thanks again, Shelby, for the sweet notes that I love to read on everyone's pictures that you visit. You make me smile every time I see them! :)

Today was very blustery and I wasn't sure if I'd be successful getting pictures in such wind, but out I went for an adventure! I ended up wandering along the upper edge of our larger meadow and following a deer trail up onto our hillside. There I found myself staring at a magnificent old Madrone tree which stood some 60+ feet tall. I went up to it and put my hand on its cool, smooth trunk, and stared up into its branches, feeling its age and wisdom of so many years. This tree stood tall and proud, and yet, I could see that it was a survivor from a wildfire that ravaged this area some years ago. I could see a singed branch and charcoal areas around the base of the trunk. Amazing that it not only survived, it was massive and doing fine! I wanted to take a picture for my 365 project, but as you may have discovered, it's not easy to take a picture of a tree in a forest. So I decided to take lots of pictures to show the lovely details that I found in this old warrior. You will see that most of the images highlight the wonderful curling bark of this tree which leaves the trunk and branches smooth and glowing. They are my favorite type of tree on our property because they're so interesting and have such lovely colors and textures! It was such a treat to discover this wonderful tree and share its details with all of you. William Morris (24 March 1834 – 3 October 1896) was an English textile designer, artist, writer, and libertarian socialist associated with the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood and English Arts and Crafts Movement. He founded a design firm in partnership with the artist Edward Burne-Jones, and the poet and artist Dante Gabriel Rossetti which profoundly influenced the decoration of churches and houses into the early 20th century. As an author, illustrator and medievalist, he helped to establish the modern fantasy genre, and was a direct influence on postwar authors such as J. R. R. Tolkien. He was also a major contributor to reviving traditional textile arts and methods of production, and one of the founders of the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings, now a statutory element in the preservation of historic buildings in the UK. Wikipedia: William Morris Explored on Flickr on February 25, 2013. Highest position: #363.