B is for Bark

The Tree and its Pajamas

Once upon a time, there lived an old tree. It was an oak tree. It was a happy tree. Day after day the tree would think. Now the tree lived in an old garden. The garden was old but it was pretty. The flowers bloomed nicely. There were poppies, daises and roses. Well enough about the flowers let's get on with the story.

One day the tree was sad. This was unusual for the tree as it was always happy. It was the middle of Fall and the tree had no covering. Everything in the garden had a covering. The tree was the only thing that did not. The tree was very sad. One day the old lady was out caring for her flowers. She had always been good to her flowers, and it happen that she came passed the old tree. She saw it and said, why are you sad tree? For you have a good home here, so why are you sad?

The tree said o' lady I am sad for I have no covering. Well, the old lady said I will make you something, and with that she went back to taking care of her flowers. Now the tree felt good. He would get a covering too, and that made him happy just thinking about it. A few days later the old lady had a pair of pajamas ready for the tree. She tied the pajamas on the tree. The tree was happy. He had a covering and that was all he liked.

H is for Habitat

Dappled light shines through the trees in the swampy forest. “Whoo, Whoo cooks for you” calls the barred owl as it flies into its nest in the large tree. Barred owls live in holes inside trees, built by other animals. Barred owls like swampy forests with lots of trees because it gives them cover for them to hunt fish and frogs and cozy nesting spots. Vermont’s forests have lots of trees, making it a good habitat for barred owls.

C is for Cherry Tree

Cherry trees require the winter cold in order to blossom in spring. You can also eat blossoms of the cherry trees. Some people think cherry blossoms are pink but cherry blossoms can be white too. 

P is for Pine

Out in the forest grew a tall pine green,

Lived a sweet mama blue jay and her little jays three,

As the sun was setting it was pink and gold,

And the thick pine bow warmed the jays from the cold.

T is for Teamwork

Alone one tree in a meadow can do little, 

Gathered together, as a forest, they can thrive.

A group of trees together provides wildlife habitat for birds, insects and small mammals, They supply food sources for them to eat.

Nesting places to live, a home protected from predators,

A forest can regulate the climate, allowing for water conservation and better air quality.

A forest can provide shade under its broad leaves, control temperature and cut down noise.

When those same leaves fall to the ground it keeps the soil healthy, 

Maybe best of all, a forest is beautiful to behold.

One tree by itself can fall the ground; however, the same tree in a forest when it falls, can be supported by another tree around it.

Sometimes we all need support from a team when we fall.

W is for Willow

Willow trees consume lots of water through the tree’s roots.

S is for Sleepless Woods

Luna watches me through my window.

I stare at my blank ceiling, 

Restlessness. 

It’s exactly midnight,

My watch reads.

I sit up, 

Bundle my sheets around my body like a ghost, 

The night has taken me over. 

Rabbit tracks lay peacefully on the snow. 

Neighborhood birds still sleep. 

Snow resting under my feet. 

The Moon, 

Novelty in the night sky, 

Yearns to rest.

The snow fluttering down, 

Catching onto branches. 

Laying down under a big tree, 

Exactly where all can be seen.

Absorbed by nature, 

Light headed, 

Darkness walks me home.

E is for Escape

Peering over the cliff's edge

Sometimes my father leaves me to visit my aunt and uncle at their cliff side cabin overlooking the lake. The fall here brings me the most comfort, it was my grandmother's favorite time of the year. Bulky knitted sweaters, warm pumpkin pie, hot tea, and leaf piles.

My aunt and uncle have an old tire swing with thick rope on one of the sturdy birches that stands on the cliff's edge. Sitting on the tire swing peering over you can observe the quiet lake below, and this causes my thoughts to wander off about my father. How is he? I wonder if he is missing me too.

This spot is my escape from the busyness of the city with the beautiful white bark of the birches, the soft breeze creating ripples on the lake, the mountain in the distance. I sit also reminiscing about the sounds of the once nearby birds, who recently left their nests in this beautiful grove of birches. The quietness and beauty of the birches brings me peace. Nature has a way of doing that to folks. The yellow orange leaves of the birches are almost gone and a layer of frost is slowly growing around the edges of the lake on these chilly mornings.

As much as I love it here I do wonder when my father will return and bring me back to the city. Maybe when he gets here we can collect birch bark to start a fire and talk all night long about his travels under the chilly fall sky.