The magnificent trees in Maine suggest anything and everything.  Mystery reigns under tall spruce where dappled light dances and the needle-covered paths below beckon hikers further into the  darkness.  Oaks form a cool umbrella overhead where finches, phoebes, and robins sing; perfect for a quiet afternoon of reading or for lunch with a friend. Apple trees loaded up with ripening apples remind us of the past – old orchards no longer kept, farmers no longer tending their crops, or the iconic tree you can see in this photograph.  And of course the breath-taking fall burst of color from the maples, against the green of Maine shouts out to artists and photographers.

My earliest memory of trees is the buckeye tree in the backyard of my house in Cleveland, OH.  I don’t remember if they were beautiful or stately, just that the buckeyes were so exciting when they finally dropped.  We collected them, peeled their spiny husks to reveal the dark shiny brown nut inside. We saved them and made toys from them.  We played games, like who could toss the most buckeyes into a can.  My brothers made a weapon with a drill, some twine, and two buckeyes, though I cannot recall how they made them work.

The giant weeping willow in our yard was magical. I sat there by myself in its shady dome and watched ants crawl up and down my legs.  Sometimes my dolls joined me, while the branches swirled above us in the wind. It was cool on a hot day, and dark on a sunny day, which tells me it had a calming effect on me.

I find being among trees calming still.  A walk at Clark Island last week revealed the same sense of aloneness and peace, while assuring me all was right at least for that moment.  It may be their release of oxygen, or some other biological effect at work but for that while they take me away to another place.

Join me on June 24, for Memoir Evoked by Place, a writing workshop for all levels and genres of writing.  Mimi Edmunds will lead us in our writing, and we’ll share the beauty of the land at Split Rock Cove.  Go to  www.26splitrockcove.com/workshops to sign up today!