WELCOME TO Val's Alentejo -I write about my region of Alentejo. My art ,painting, my cottages, Family life, my animals -Travels And my love for Roses- and rural country life.

Wednesday 12 March 2014

Secrets of the trees

If trees could only talk!  What tales they could tell us.    Tales from hundreds of years ago. tales of even today, when I walked down the lane.     When lovers walked hand in hand and whispering, declared their love for each other. Thinking no one heard, but the tree did!      secretly they listened.
  
A tale of  when the old man and his donkey passed by to cut the grass at the side of the lane , to take home to feed his rabbits, and the trees secretly listened.  
When in  the deepest deep  of  the night,  the owl's would sit and woo and call out to for a mate.
                           Entertwined the the tree had grown together. Secret holes for the Mongoose or weasel to hide in  , leaves hanging from their branches.  All the while listning to  the tales of the people passing.

                       ! Let's sit here a while the lovers say! Darce not let the village folk see, gosh what trouble we would be in.  " Lets share our plans with our old friend the trees  . Her lover replies.  " We dont need too, they already know"-   This is where my great grandfather proposed to my great grandmother.    Shhhhhhhh! lets listen.. they might just tell us a thing or two.
                                wild lilies growing within the protection of these old old trees. When in bloom secretly picked to give to a loved one.
                            I can hear the churchbells ringing!!!  One of the twin trees said.  "yes, its Maria from the bakery" she is getting married tomorrow.  Old man  Mario was talking about it last week.
                             And the roots grow , and the tree holds its secret of the Rabbits who come to visit .
                              No! " am am not twisted.. Its mother nature. She made me so I could see all around me. I hold many tales to tell.
" I am glad that they dont cut us down anymore".. If they did, our secrets would be gone forever. Where would the Foxes hide and the Hares that come to say hello.  And old mr Tortoise ..he has lived here for so many years.





We are all trees together.  Some of us are stranger than others.   I like to live here, and see the people walk the lane. " I think they like to see us too"
Gosh, how many tales and secrets we can share."









Mr. Woodpecker comes to visit often.  The hawk and the kites too.  We are so lucky.!!! Old mr mongoose like my hidy hole.. he visits a lot.


The woodmouse and the mongoose are our friends. 
     "Did I tell you, that the nocturnal boar comes to visit me often." he seems to like lying and resting at the foot of my roots"- and so they talk about all their many secrets of days gone by.

                                         Gosh! The sun is going down.   Closed my camera .. drove home and thoroughly enjoyed my walk down lovers lane.   I think I heard the trees whispering. !!!

Some of these Olive trees are hundreds of years old.   Each one so very individual.  When I look at them, I see shapes and outlines.  They seem to come alive.

Happy days.   Spring is on its way.


15 comments:

  1. Val, this is beautiful...just beautiful...gratifying to know that others "see" what I see!!!...:)JP

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    1. Hello JP. I am so pleased that you see the trees and not just a trunk.. they are so special. xxxx

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  2. Yes trees are special, I heat with wood but seldom cut a live tree unless it is one of the weed trees that came from china. Anyway the ancient trees are a wonder, I have seen trees in hard to get to places that you couldn't get your arms around the lowest limb. It almost feels magical around such a tree.

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    1. Hello Sunnybrook. It pleases me to know that other people see trees like I do. I too never cut a live tree. We have to prune my olive trees, so i get some wood from there. It is illegal to cut an olive tree down here.
      How I would love to see the ancient redwood trees in America.
      Trees are magical - The Boabab tree is the same..its so so wide, you cannot get your arms around it. The old olive trees too.
      Thanks for you kind comments. val

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  3. i think they are so beautiful. and i am glad they hold their secrets. :)

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    1. Thanks Tex. They must hold so many secrets.. we can only wonder.

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  4. A beautiful post if only trees could talk! Sarah x

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  5. Such a lovely post, Val, and the old trees are so beautiful. We don't have the old olive trees here but I can see the history in them. Wonderful to be able to do this walk and enjoy them and imagine the memories. love P. xxx

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  6. They are indeed secret keepers. They are so beautiful, quietly living amongst us. Life would be so sad without our trees.
    Lovely post Val.
    Di
    X

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  7. Thank you for this lovely post Val. What intricate and twisted shapes those old olive trees have become. Amazing to think about what has happened around them since they were first planted.
    You sound refreshed from this walk. I hope Spring is just around the corner:)
    Happy days to you too!
    Betty ox

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  8. Olive trees are intriguing to me, perhaps because they don't grow where I live. I bought one for a potted plant, to bring indoors during cold weather, but I lost it a couple of years ago. Interesting post about trees, Val. Hope your week is going well for you!

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  9. Val, how wonderful you can walk through the land of the trees. Each shape they present could have a whole story to tell. They make such pretty photos..Happy Thursday..Judy

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  10. I agree love the post on trees. I have a thing for trees too. I hate when people cut good trees down. They serve so many wonderful purposes and should be treasured.

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  11. Oh I love this Val, the idea that trees overhear all that is going on around them. I love trees and the more gnarled they are the better. There are many trees in the garden behind me and wonder how old they might be. Have a lovely weekend.
    Patricia x

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  12. Oh, Val, your words are magical! I love the whimsical way you've shared the secret life of these old, entwined trees and all the wonderful events and news they've witnessed, and the wildlife they've welcomed into their shelter. Your beautiful story just made me smile! Thank you so much.

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