29 Comments

Love this words about the birch, Michela and all the beautiful intimate pictures, so much variety. The Downy Birch tree is the most common trees in Iceland (shorter than in Scotland) and the national tree. Love to see and photograph it and love the smell of it after raining in summertime.

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Thanks Rannsy. I remember seeing dwarf birch at Vatnajokull; I didn’t know they are the national tree, but they are rather special.

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Just our national tree at heart ❤️

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Yes Michela, as long as we don't have strong winds in the next few days we'll be good for a while yet!

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Michela, your 31 images are unutterably rich! If I am ever unable to go out into woods myself, I will look to your work to give me those soul textures.

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Thanks Lainey, that’s really kind. ‘Soul textures’ is a great way to describe it.

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I love silver birch trees, and regularly wander among them at Arne in Dorset. I love to photograph them throughout the year and watch the changes that happen as the seasons change. The word I might add to your list is 'Ethereal'.

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Thanks Jane. I hope you still have leaves left to enjoy in your wanderings.

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Pagan

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Thanks Kim, I’d overlooked folklore in my list.

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In our little corner of rural France, the deer are back … they must hide deep in the shadow’y woodlands during the hot summers, but on misty mornings they confidently browse our meadow grass for rich pickings.

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They know a free buffet when they find one!

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Exactly!

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Beautiful post, I love birch trees.

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Thanks Juliet—they are hard to resist.

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Lovely piece. I would add tessellated and intricate. Love the birch!

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Thanks Lynne. Tessellated is a great suggestion!

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Beautiful video. And, not fully related to the post but I like your "find 100 words to describe" challenge to yourself. Descriptions is something I want to get better at so I might try that out next time I'm stuck, I'm inspired to find 100 words to describe something myself!

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Thank you Sophie. Sometimes my mind works in strange ways… If you do, and feel inclined to share it, I’d love to know what your something turns out to be.

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Wonderful post and a few words for the pot --

papery, silver, wintergreen, minty, fresh, fibrous, dappling, healing, diuretic, antirheumatic, stimulant, astringent, anthelmintic, choloagogue, diaphoretic, cleansing, soporific, purifying, soothing, tonifying, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, preservative, gentle, potent.

-- some from birch's herbal effects -- I've called on her in tinctures for headaches -- like willow she contains salicylates or in oils for joint and muscle pain... In Spring, the buds make a wonderful flower essence.

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My turn to say how wonderful - thanks so much for these Jan

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Squirrel’s breakfast table 🤎

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A happy discovery 😀

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Glowing, and incandescent spring to mind.

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Thanks Paula. Both describe so well the trees in their autumn dress.

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It always seems like they are lit from within, the glow on even the greyest days!

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I could read about trees, their beauty, mythology, importance to life, all day, this was perfect, thank you:) I too am just a bit obsessed with trees and their lichen - just a bit you understand!

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Thanks Sarah! They do tend to have that effect, don’t they? And funnily enough there were a few photos that I kept back as they were more lichen than tree, with the thought that lichen could have its own star billing another week.

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Oh yes definitely:)

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