December 28th, 2006
the scream
I came across another photo that seemed quite timely and appropriate as I continue my holiday project of amalgamating many years of files onto the new laptop and an auxiliary drive. This Ironwood (Ostrya virginiana), also known as a Hop Hornbeam to some, is one of our favourite trees along the McParlan Trail at Murphy’s Point Provincial Park here in eastern Ontario. It always reminds us of Edvard Munch’s painting, The Scream. I have to admit that the tree and I were on the same wavelength yesterday, but things are going better today.
As the common name suggests, Ironwood have very hard, tough wood. In R.C. Hosie’s Native Trees of Canada, he comments that the wood is heavy, close-grained, and was used in the making of objects that required a tough wood such as tool handles, or runners on sleighs. In this area, we often find Ironwood growing along dry, rocky ridges where other trees don’t generally do as well. Most times, the trunk is never more than 8 or 10 inches in diameter, but we’ve seen a few that are larger. Often, we find misshapen trees such as the above example.
Well, back to work on this computer project. Things should be “back to normal” fairly soon and I’ll be able to get to some photos taken while hiking around over the past few days.
Tags: Ironwood, Hop Hornbeam, Ostrya virginiana, The Scream, Edvard Munch
December 29th, 2006 at 4:12 am
That is really something. I’ll be looking at my local trees a little differently now – I think there might be a Klimt in my own back yard.
December 29th, 2006 at 4:09 pm
That is a beautiful, misshapen tree. It does have a Munch’s Scream look. What a beauty.
December 29th, 2006 at 6:11 pm
Cathy – We very much enjoy studying trees – especially the unusual ones – as they can take so many interesting shapes and sometimes resemble creatures and even artworks. There is a grouping of huge fallen trees that I have always felt reminds me of a cluster of figures from the Elgin marbles. It’s just something about the lines of the trees and the way that they seem to be in a state of relaxed repose. I’ll try to post it sometime if it turns up when I’m going through my photos.
–
robin – Yes, it is a beautiful tree. When I first take friends for a walk along that trail, I always make a point of introducing them to this tree. Don and I are definitely “tree people” and know a good many trees almost as well as many humans in our acquaintance.