Can't See the Forest for the Trees

I have a confession... I'm coming out of the closet.

I am a tree-hugger.

And when I say "tree-hugger", I mean I'm a hard-core tree hugger. You see, I have always cared a lot about the environment, even when I was a kid. I remember running back from the mailbox screaming, "MOMMA!! CAN I ADOPT A WHALE???" I felt a strong sense of urgency that if I didn't convince my parents to let me adopt an acre of the rainforest, that the world would come to an end and all the trees would disappear off the face of the earth.

But, I kind of thought it was a phase, and I think my parents did too (or at least they hoped). I did quiet down about it for a while, you know... writing "Stephanie loves Brandon" all over my kitten-covered trapper keeper and competing with my friends to see who could blow the biggest Bubblicious bubble seemed more important once I hit my teenage years. But the flame was rekindled once I became an intelligent, independently thinking adult, and now here I am. I have never really classified myself as a "tree-hugger" until now. I mean, I care about the earth, conservation, sustainable living, etc. but...me? A tree-hugger? Nah.... I'm not one of those people that will go out in the forest and strap themselves to a redwood to keep someone from bulldozing.

At least, I wasn't...until I moved to Portland. Since I've moved here, I've discovered that I have a deep love, not only of nature in general, but of trees specifically. I mean, look at this picture, and try to imagine being there in real life:


Now tell me you don't want to hug it. You know you do. The cool, crisp air in your lungs, trees towering hundreds of feet above you, the sun peeking through the branches... ahh... it's absolute heaven. I took that picture on the trail to Cape Falcon, which goes along the Pacific Coast.


It's a nice hike that goes through an old growth forest, and we thought it was a great introduction to the region. I had no idea what an old growth forest was when we first came out... and for those of you too lazy to click the link, it means that it has never been cut. Oregon has a thing for clear-cutting forests, which I'm still investigating, and will reserve judgement until I'm able to do further research. But what I have gathered so far does not make me happy. There's a lot of tree chopping going on around what is supposed to be the Greenest City in the country. Do I smell a dirty little secret? Skeletons in Oregon's closet, perhaps? I don't know... we'll see... give me time and I'll figure it out.

Anyway, back to Cape Falcon, the end of the hike is very rewarding...you get a really nice view of a beach, some surfers, and the Pacific:


Back in our neck of the woods (Portland metro), I can still easily get my tree fix. Washington Park is only a couple of miles away, and it's super accessible because the MAX line goes straight to it. Check out this funky tree that is on the Redwood trail:

There is a slogan here in Portland, that "natives" like to use (if there is such a thing, because most people I've met are not actually from here). It says "Keep Portland Weird." This tree is definitely weird. Weird, but cool. Incidentally, I don't care much for the slogan. I'll have to get into that in another post.

Here's a grove of cedar trees. I think they look like green lace:

So, Washington Park includes Hoyt Arboretum, where there a bunch of different trees you can check out. This one is in my top 3 favorites so far:

This is called a Monkey Puzzle tree. I took this picture from the ground looking up, and you can see why it has earned such a name. I don't know if any monkey has ever actually tried to climb one of these, but I know it would confuse the hell out of me and my brain is way bigger than theirs.

This one was also taken in Washington Park, along the Birch trail. I just love the sun shining through the leaves and how it makes them glow. It makes me happy.

Just looking at these pictures make me less homesick (and of course going out and actually taking them helps, too). That's another reason I know I'm a tree-hugger. If you can't hug your parents, hug a tree. It works, I promise. Then you'll be a tree-hugger too.