Years ago when we first visited Rocky Mountain National Park, Ryan was fascinated by the stumps he saw on our hikes. He took photos of them and put together a little book that he entitled "Stumps of the West". Ever since then, I've tended to notice stumps myself, and have taken a few hundred photos of my own. Here are some I saw at the pond.
An interesting bi-color stump:
I see a smiling face on this one.
This stump has decayed pretty extensively ...
... but if you look closely, it's providing a substrate and nourishment for a tiny maple seedling.
I call this one The Sign of the Trident stump.
With a moss tablecloth covering it, this stump is set for a woodfolk gathering.
This can barely still be called a stump, and yet it still marks that a tree once grew there.
The rare double stump,
If you're out this weekend, see if you notice any interesting stumps. They are everywhere!
You come up with the most interesting topics, Bonny. I admit I have never looked at stumps this way, but I will going forward. The natural world is endlessly engaging, if only we look! I hope you have a fabulous holiday weekend in spite of everything.
ReplyDeleteLooking for stumps sounds fun!
ReplyDeleteGreat pictures Bonny! I love the ones where there might be a hole that some creature has carved out.
ReplyDeleteI've always been interested in stumps, though I've never photographed them. I like to think about the trees that they used to me. After reading The Overstory, I feel like I have an even greater appreciation for them!
ReplyDeleteI love all the fungi that grow on stumps, and that's usually why I notice them... perhaps now I'll pay a little more attention to the actual stump!!
ReplyDeleteI love stumps! I had one in the front yard that I watched for years as it slowly returned to earth.
ReplyDeleteI love stumps! And the rare quintuple stump! :-) I can hear that said is a Schweddy Balls voice! Have a nice weekend Bonny!
ReplyDeleteI am totally intrigued with tree stumps, and I have many, many photos of various stumps I've discovered over the years. Maybe I need to follow Ryan's example and create a book: Stumps I've Loved. :-) I really love the ones that get all covered with moss best! Have a great weekend, Bonny. XO
ReplyDeleteHow cool, Bonny - that's a lot of noticing ... and some very interesting stumps! Have a wonderful weekend!
ReplyDeleteI love these old stumps! When I was a little girl we had a huge elm tree in our backyard that had to be taken down due to Dutch Elm Disease. I cried when the tree came down, but then was happy to use the stump to host tea parties for my dolls. Have a good weekend!
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry your backyard elm had to be cut down, but I have a lovely mental picture of you using the stump for tea parties. Hope your weekend is a good one, Debbie!
DeleteBonny , I needed a new way to look at stumps!! Love it. We had a double that looked like an owls face with eyes. Fireman didn't see it. He burned it up. Oh Well.
ReplyDeleteI have been fascinated with stumps since I was a child! There was the most incredible stump in the woods behind our house. It was so large that we could not stand around it and hold hands! It was the perfect "launching pad" for jumping! But now I am going to look for stump faces! (and double stumps!)
ReplyDeleteI, too, like to find and study stumps. We have one here that has been drilled with holes(?) and brown mushrooms are sprouting around its edges. weird
ReplyDeleteWhat interesting stumps and beautiful photos. Isn't it wonderful when something ordinary holds a bit of magic? I don't see many stumps on my neighborhood walks but I will look for them on our next walk on a trail. We've been avoiding them because right now they are heavily traveled. I did look at trunks and bark today while walking. Lots of texture and moss from the recent rains.
ReplyDeleteHey good news, my hubby didn't burn the stump! He just put it back on the pile. I saw it today! It still looks like an owl.
ReplyDeleteHello, I am a new visitor to you blog. I like what you say and how you say it, so I will come back to visit often. I love this pictures of the stumps. Have a good day.
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