Under The Influence Of The Redwood Tree
vs.
The Palm Tree
Photos by Wendy Abrams
California Icons The Palm and The Redwood
Living under the majestic redwoods of Northern California is wildly different than languishing under the palms in Southern California. I have lived with both. Redwoods are mysterious, wise and moody. They thrive in fog and inspire the imagination and they belong where they are. They have an ancient history and a royal magical presence. Being in their cathedrals always makes me stop and look up, take a deep breathe and imagine time.
Palm trees are more breathless. They are a backdrop rustling in the wind and moonlight. They are props that enhance sunsets and encourage cocktail parties.
The palm is a pom- pon of the sky, a vacation icon. They were a sign of victory, peace, fertility and an oasis. They are decorations and highlights that are playful soothing.
When palm trees blow around they are like snow drifts to be shoveled away after a Santa Ana wind. They can also be dazzling next to a pool when you swim at night. Palm Trees are teenagers and exotics. They can evoke anything and define vacation. If out of place they are ridiculous especially when they are next to a pine tree or a redwood. A redwood grove is never out of place, it simply is a place.
The Redwood holds its own under most pressure. They are sacred healers and inspire the deepest contemplation simply by being under them.
Homage to Woody @ The Larkspur Redwood House
I lived in a house in Larkspur, CA with a cathedral on the property. Sometimes I caught my late Jack Russell Woody meditating in the center but he never admitted it. He hid in places around the trunks pretending I couldn’t see him wiggling his nose. I captured moments watching him in the morning sun when the rays lit the morning and inspired him to lean against their trunks.
The trees are my haven. They are embracing, listening but not judging. Being in the forest, breathing their oxygen, I slow down. Trees hide me and open me up. They also give me hope about walking on earth because of the sheer beauty. Redwoods remind me of the past, and the distance of time. The redwood has been around for 25 centuries! They will be here when we are long gone and know that I stared at them, walked under them, lived with them.
Palms are slowly sublime
Living with these trees up and down the coast set the tone for what it feels like to live in California. The redwoods have my respect and the palm trees are like childhood memories. Both play a part in my experience, it's just part of the territory here being grown up and childlike playing with trees.
