Funny how an idea can spark from an innocent remark. ‘Have you done a walk featuring the personalities of trees?’ asked Frank, on my last walk. ‘Well, no-o…but?’ Frank likes walking on beaches, but his interests range far and wide. I like walking on beaches too, but they’re denied to me at present. So the idea of taking a twirl with a tree or two was born.
I talk to the trees, but they don’t listen to me
I talk to the stars, but they never hear me…
Could you use a little shade? 
Or a place to sit awhile? 
I’m afraid I’m a little twisted 
And I’m having a bad hair day! 
Calm down, guys! Just look at that blue sky 
How about a game of hide and seek? 
Climb on me- I don’t mind! 
Not us! We’re fragile 
How did I end up like this?
They surround me. Olive trees, ancient and new. Oranges and lemons, side by side, their fruit a dangling temptation. Figs and pomegranates are bare branches now, but their turn will come. This is the time of the almonds, bitter with dark pink blossoms, sweet, much paler. Both delicate.
Juicy oranges 
And tangy lemons
I choose a path between fields lush with Bermuda buttercups. Over a stone wall, a new plantation of water-guzzling avocados. A flitter and a fluttering as a lime and lemon butterfly dances past, alighting for a few precious moments. I hope for the wings to still to display their full beauty. Bubbles of vibrant mimosa echo the lemon.
And then, the definitive old gnarled tree trunk. A home for bugs, birds and even small rodents. The perfect hiding place for acorns. With a peephole or two for that watchful eye. So full of character!
White blossom contrasts with the rocks 
And a rock rose peeps out 
I’ve got my eye on you! 
Lanterna, everywhere, in many shades 
A tree with a view 
Dangling beauty
So many forms, and all part of my world right now. The boundaries are meaningless to you, but a beautiful straitjacket for me. I hope you enjoyed A glimpse of my world as it is at the moment. Thanks to Sheetal. A myriad of sights to gladden the heart.
As does sharing your walks. Find time for a browse?
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Margaret did make me smile with this! You see, anyone can go for a walk… anywhere!
Virtual dog goes on a virtual walk
When it comes to smoke and mirrors, Drake has it all beautifully covered :
So nice to have a bit of poetry to accompany a walk. Thanks, Mari!
Cadyluck has a very sad story to relate, but it makes a fascinating walk :
Jo’s Monday walk : Southampton, UK
Feel the heat, Down Under with Carol! Anyone for a paddle? Don’t miss the dragonflies and butterflies in the second post!
Going back to virtual walks, I can’t think of anyone I’d rather walk with. Margaret, come and join Annika? You’ll love the location.
Some time this year we’ll be free to walk where we choose, I hope. Lucy has some great suggestions :
Five fantastic walking holidays in the UK
And Marie shares some wild Irish beauty :
Out and about in Ireland’s Heartland- Cavan Burren Park
Tying in nicely with my walk this week… a peaceful interlude with Lynn :
Local Walks: A Lake and a Forest in the uiet season
Nudging forward into 2021. One step at a time. Take care of yourselves, and join me next time on Jo’s Monday walk!
restlessjo 
Lovely photos as always Jo, your walks are inspiring. I talk to trees, people, dogs and no-one listens to a word I say!
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Thanks, Jonno! Trying to keep myself sane while walking the country lanes. Not entirely sure it’s working 🙂 🙂
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Thanks for taking us along on your walk. I love those old gnarly trees!
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They’re beautiful, aren’t they? Glad you could come along 🤗💕
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Such variety!
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Yes, I suppose there is. Easy to take it for granted, living here 🤔💕
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Sometimes talking to my husband feels like talking to a tree…lol. Beautiful photos and uplifting post, looks like Spring has sprang in the Algarve. Enjoy 🙂
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It has, and yes, I know that feeling too, Gilda 🤣💕 Thanks hon!
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What a lovely post Jo – a glimpse into your world and such poetic writing! It looks like the blossoms are well and truly out – such a gorgeous time of the year! Really uplifting to see such beautiful photos as it lifts the mood. Hope you get out and about for some more walks this week and take care xx 🙂
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Thanks, darlin 🙂 🙂 It’s tennis mornings and afternoon walks at the moment, Rosemay. You know what I’m like! I really miss it when it ends. The weather this week is glorious so I’m making the most.
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Enjoy the tennis and the walks Jo and hope the glorious weather continues! 🙂 🙂
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I loved your commune with nature and the trees Jo.you captured their personalities perfectly with your comments and exclamation. Did you manage a hug or two as well?
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Some of them are a bit prickly, Pauline, but I got pretty close 🙂 🙂 Thanks, darlin!
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Your beautiful fruit trees remind me of home in CA. The gnarled one, home of the rodents, is my favorite.
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Do you miss CA, Marsha, or are you still having fun in the snow? 🙂 🙂
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Hi Jo, Our best friends came last Wednesday through Sunday for a visit, so that helps. Jean and I have been like sisters for 35 years and we saw them 3-4 nights a week , so that felt great. But I don’t miss it as much as I thought I would. We’ve been so busy here getting established, etc. and finding new places to go. Our snow is gone, though. It snowed briefly on Saturday, but melted by Sunday. Thanks for asking. Life is so beautiful. 🙂
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A fun post, Jo 🙂 Love all those old olive trees and the stories they could tell.
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Thanks, Suzanne 🙂 🙂 I enjoyed playing with this one.
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This was healing. I liked it all, the pictures, the wonderful quotes that were spot on, and the butterfly. Thank you for sharing such glorious blessings.
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Thanks for joining me, Isaiah. Beauty is meant for sharing 🙂 🙂
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Such a wonderful variety of trees, I love the blossom too and I could quite happily live the rest of my life in a tent in that meadow in the second shot 🙂 Paint Your Wagon is about the only time you ever hear Clint Eastwood sing 🙂
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I do like the song, Eunice, and I know what you mean about the meadows. They look fabulous at this time of year 🤗🌸🌺💮💕
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Another great post ! I will have to start looking at trees more carefully and thoughtfully! PS I saved your post to read for the last of the day so I could enjoy it more! It takes me hours to read all the posts I like!
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Bless you, thanks for that! Yes, I know the feeling. Some you can just pop in and admire one photo but there is some great stuff out there. Enjoy your week 🤗🍊🍋🌸💕
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What a beautiful and varied selection of trees!
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I did think just trees might be boring, Anabel, but they have a life of their own. 🙂 🙂 Thanks, hon!
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Hi, Jo. This is a wonderful post–beautiful, heart-felt, and poetic. Lovely! It’s starting to look like spring where you are! We’re still in the deep, dark winter.
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Yes, Patti, Spring’s definitely here. We were up in the hills this afternoon and the rock roses are out and wild lavender, as well as the almond blossom. The best time of year for walking here. Thanks for joining me 🙂 🙂
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“A beautiful straitjacket” – talk about making lemonade out of lemons, that’s brilliant. And speaking of lemons, I love the little lemon-lime butterfly – does it ever come to citrus blossoms, I wonder, or is it named for its colors? Probably the latter. The olive trees are so wonderful. I love an acinet, twisted olive tree. This walk was absolutely delightful, Jo, thank you!!
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It’s a terrible shot of the butterfly, Lynn! The colours are lovely but it was much too impatient to be off. I don’t actually know its proper name. It didn’t hang around long enough for us to have that conversation. I should look it up for you. Perhaps, later 🙂 🙂 We’ve just come down from the hills, where the first of the rock cistus are in bloom already. It’s going to be a wonderful Spring! Always great to have your company 🙂
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A very enjoyable read, and I love the amusing captions on many of your photos as well as the beautiful blossoms and the shapes of the trees 😀
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I had fun with it, Sarah 🙂 🙂 I’m struggling a bit to get the galleries they way I like them, but they didn’t work out too badly.
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A very pleasant walk. I like the eye-catching tree
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I thought it was going to wink at me 🙂 🙂
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Trees definitely have personalities, there aren’t very many in this part of Cornwall though – mostly knarly, twisted and lichen-covered hedgerow shrubs. You have a lot to be happy about there. And enough yellows to make me smile too 😊
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I was going to link to your yellows but I thought it was stretching it a bit. They were well outnumbered by the greens 🙂 🙂 Found some yellow wild lupins up in the hills this afternoon, and some beautiful cistus, already!
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Yellow lupins are so pretty.
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I must admit, trees fascinate me, particularly old ones. I imagine all they have seen over their lifetime. So many beautiful captures here Jo but my favourite is definitely the old knarled tree trunk💕
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I was captivated by it, Lynn! I stood and stared. Thought about giving it a hug but decided it was a survivor and probably didn’t need it 🙂 🙂
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Another beautiful Post Jo…and very eye-catching captions.
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Thanks, darlin! Such a lovely time of year for getting out and about here- as far as is allowed, anyway 🙂 🙂
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