There’s This Tree Out On the Bosque…
Today’s Theme Thursday is tree, and since I’m on the road today (doing the vacation thang and all) here’s a photo of one of my favorite trees.
This old friend lives out on the Bosque in that little slice of land between Los Lunas and Belen known as Los Chaves.
My folks used to live out that way and I alternately loved and was afraid of walking in the Bosque. Lots of wonderful stuff and lots of ways to get lost and encounter odd people in that underbrush.
Over time this particular tree became my beacon. I knew I was headed in the right direction as long as I could find this little tree and it’s natural archway to my favorite path.
This photo was taken back in 2005 with my simple Sony point and shoot. I went back a couple years later with my good camera gear and better photographic knowledge, but that wonderful arching branch had been cut back. No doubt trying to control the overgrowth due to annual fire season. I was a bit sad, and that makes this photo all the more dear to me.
Good memories. A little homesick now, actually.
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Aug 15th Edit: I talked with my mom last night and she told me she knows and loves that tree too. Seems the beautiful tree is a family friend.
Comments
Steve
Karen – I enjoyed your post – and I’m sending a link to our most recent post:http://thought2form.blogspot.com/2011/08/northern-new-mexico.html
We love NM… but, live in LA. Haven been trying to get there from here for years. We hope, one day, to live near Santa Fe. Enjoy.
kaykuala
How very touching. We get emotional over something nostalgic and it may not seem a big thing to others.I get that feeling sometimes!
Karen Fayeth
Hi kaykuala – It’s amazing what sticks with us, isn’t it? :)
Lucky
When I lived in Belen (the interracial lesbian couple from NYC living in Belen, there’s a story you should think about writing), I loved driving home down 314 through Los Chavez. I still miss it, and sometimes think I should go that way for fun. It is incredibly beautiful, as is your tree.
Karen Fayeth
Lucky – That’s quite a story! Good stuff! And yup, it’s so pretty out there by the river. So unlike any other part of the state.
Natalie
I know how you feel. I have a favorite tree in Lower Tanque Verde Falls in Tucson. No matter how hot it got (and it got really hot!), I could hike down to my tree, sit in the comfort of its shaded roots, and dangle my feet in the only running water for miles and miles. It lived at the edge of a pool that was filled from underground water. It was the coolest thing ever and I felt like I was the only one who knew about it. I don’t miss Tucson or the heat but I do miss that tree. I spent many hours reading books there… swimming with my dogs… and languishing in the cool.
I hope it’s still there…
Your tree may have been cut back due to some of the fires that have happened in that area over the last ten years. I love the Bosque, too. In fact, I was there last weekend… walking along the Rio Grande. It was hot. I didn’t find a new favorite tree.
You’ve made me homesick, too.
:)
Karen Fayeth
Natalie – Loved your favorite tree story. It sounds perfect. Even in the middle of a desert, there can be a simple cool and shady spot. And in a way it helps keep you alive in all that heat. It’s beautiful thing!!
becca givens
One of nature’s beacons offers peace, tranquility and security!
Karen Fayeth
becca – Exactly! Thanks for the comment!!
Mike Patrick
Most of us have a favorite restaurant, a favorite house and a favorite car, but how many can point to a favorite tree? Memories are built in strange places.
Karen Fayeth
Hi Mike – Ah, you make a good point. As I said to kaykuala, it’s amazing what resonates with us as the years go by. I find sometimes that it may be something that wasn’t that important to me, but years later it stands out in bas relief. The brain is a wild and wacky place.
Lynn
Your post proves people are mistaken when they think New Mexico is barren. Yay for good memories! Hope you have a safe, fun trip!
Karen Fayeth
Lynn – You are so right. I’m always surprised when someone says they think NM is ugly and brown and nothing more. I wonder what the heck it is they are seeing, because it’s anything but!