The very unusual Cannonball Tree Couroupita guianensis – a wonderfully unique flowering fruit tree growing on East Coast Beach, Singapore. The flowers are about 5″ wide and develop in massive 12 foot-long bunches. The fruit is about 8 – 10 inches across, and apparently has a very unpleasant odor. The tree has been regarded as sacred in India for thousands of years, and the bark, leaves and fruit have been used medicinally as a disinfectant; even believed to cure diseases like malaria.
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The Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri was built in 1965, commemorating Thomas Jefferson and the westward expansion of the United States. One of the most influential people in the history of United States, Thomas Jefferson (1743 – 1826) was the the third U.S. president and author of the Declaration of Independence.
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3 miles east of Oglesby, Illinois, is a surprising pocket of beauty you have to see to believe, because the surrounding countryside is flat farmland for miles.
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A show of red pops against the weathered dead branches and late summer foliage in the canyons of northern Arizona. I didn’t notice that it was heart-shaped until sorting out photos this week.
Croton garden plantings at the Cotton Bowl Stadium, Texas State Fair grounds, Dallas
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One Sweet World
Excerpt of One Sweet World by Songwriter Dave Matthews
Nine planets around the sun,
the only one with something there
Upon this watered one
so much we take for granted
If greens all turned to grey
would our hearts still bloody be?
…so let us sleep outside tonight;
lay down in our Mother’s arms
and here we will rest safely.
(The Dave Matthews Band)
Update – originally posted September 11, 2008
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This set of photos honors the efforts of a petition to halt construction on John’s Island, South Carolina that would have encroached on an area of land boasting an Oak tree estimated to be between 300 and 400 years old.
Charleston, SC is proud of its heritage and respected for its commitment to preserving history in the area. Thanks to individuals rallying together and signing a petition, we are reassured that small efforts can and do make a difference on this planet. The land surrounding the Angel Oak is no longer in jeopardy. 17 acres were purchased by Lowcountry Land Trust, protecting the area adjacent to the tree.
Initially I wrote a longer article promoting the petition and website, which is no longer active. There were pages of exclamations by tourists who have visited the area specifically to see the Angel Oak, and interesting comments and pleas from residents who have fond memories of climbing the branches as children, and whose children now do the same. A nearby elementary school carries its’ name.
During the summer of 2008, my husband and I drove through South Carolina and took a short detour to John’s Island because I had heard of the tree and was very curious to see it. We drove through wicked rains at the edge of Tropical storm Faye, so when we arrived at Angel Oak park no one else was there. The tree trunk and lower branches are so immense, many have been propped up with stakes and heavy cables here and there, which is a little intrusive for photo-taking, but obviously necessary. Growth is spread outward more than upward, occupying an enormous space at least 150 feet wide.
According to after the Category 5 Hurricane Hugo hit the coast of in 1989, Governor Carroll Campbell is reported to say that the storm destroyed enough timber in South Carolina to frame a home for every family in the state of West Virginia. All those trees and forests obliterated, yet The Angel Oak survived. It has since healed injuries inflicted by Hurricane Hugo.
Birds are much easier to photograph in the winter. This is my favorite bird photo.
Klamath River Bridge, Redwood National Park, CA
