Lulu under Big Tree

The dominating feature on one side of our back yard is a big maple tree.  I call it ‘Big Tree.’  Last year we lost a companion big maple tree on the side yard (lightening hit and and then bugs ate it from the inside).  It used to mingle it’s leaves with Big Tree.  Now we only have the canopy of ‘Big Tree’ to shelter that area in summer.  And of course, we have the pines, but, those are different.

Sofie under Big tree

The Red-bellied Woodpecker, Downy,  Northern Flicker, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Cooper’s Hawk and all the yard birds love that tree.  We keep the suet there (you can see in the picture) especially for the peckers. The feeders are in more protected areas because of the osprey and hawks.  Every dog likes to lie and play around Big Tree. So did the children.  We had a cable put in it several years ago to keep it from falling into the house.  I did not realize, until I went to look for pictures, how much Big Tree has been the background for our lives in this house. We actually bought this house because of the way that tree made us think we were in a tree house from the living room window. The kid’s swing-set/tree house used to live under it.  There used to be grass in that area, where now there is only sand.  The gardens have changed and paths have worn, but Big Tree still is there for us.

Squash & Lulu under Big Tree January 2011

My step daughter, K8, is an amazing photographer, and I thank her for the close up shots of the hawk, spider, and yard birds.  We are blessed with this amazing gathering of birds all year long.  We have our common friends: Carolina Chickadees, American Goldfinch, House Finch, Carolina Wrens, Song Sparrow, White-breasted Nuthatch, Tufted Titmouse, Dark-eyed Junco, European Starling, Brown-headed Cowbird, American Robin, Northern Mockingbird, Blue Jay, Mourning Dove, American Crow & Raven, and Northern Cardinal. And our occasional: Baltimore Oriole, Eastern Bluebird, Barred Owl.  We also have the ducks that lie under the tree: Teal, Mallard, American Black Duck, American Wigeon.

A spider on the window overlooking Big Tree

The water birds tend to visit but don’t stay long (except the ducks).  The Osprey live less than a 1000 feet away but don’t seem to land on the tree, they circle and watch the action.

Hawk in Big Tree

Locals in Big Tree

Trees are an amazing part of the landscape and really form the background to our lives. If you stay in one place for a certain amount of time or visit the same spot year after year, you get to know the trees.  Over the years we have lost many trees to their age, and the bugs, and the weather.  We had this incredible Tortured Willow that was half dead when we moved in and we nursed that beauty for several years before I was willing to let her go.  When you lose a tree, so much changes.  The garden pattern.  The landscape flow.  The environment changes all around.  About 5 years ago, the people across the street took out over 40 large pines so they could build a second driveway and a shed (that I now have to look out my office window every day at, instead of the wonderful natural forest I loved).  All the squirrels and rabbits, had to find other homes (of course in my yard).  I wish people would stop cutting and start caring more what happens when they get rid of all the natural cover just so they could park an extra car.  Hey, I just thought about the fact that maybe that is why the wind and run off pattern has eroded my property around Big Tree a lot more in the last few years.  I think I am going to call a tree expert to make sure the Big Tree is OK.  I want it to be here for a really long time if possible because it is the background to my life.

Just another DogDaz morning at the zoo ❤