I never saw a discontented tree.

October 7, 2010 1:50 PM

They grip the ground as though they liked it, and though fasted rooted they travel about as far as we do. The quote is from John Muir, of course ("John o' the Mountains"). I guess there's a lot of these beauty of trees sites, but this is the first one I've encountered, and it's stunning.
posted by softjeans (10 comments total)

Wow! These are fantastic photos. I could spend all day here.
posted by lholladay at 2:42 PM on October 7, 2010 [1 favorite]

I read that quote in college, and since then every single time I take a second to look at a tree, I think of the trunk as an arm and the roots a hand clutching at the earth to hold on as we all spin around in orbit. It's one of those things that forever changed the way I think of trees.

Great site, thanks!
posted by nevercalm at 2:55 PM on October 7, 2010

Found a picture of this in there. Whoever is pruning those trees had better be good. Who is willing to insure a roller-coaster tightly surrounded by living, growing trees with potentially lethal branches?

Also, the first pic of the island in Michigan is incredible.
posted by UrbanEye at 3:16 PM on October 7, 2010

urbaneye I am having a hard time believing that first pic is real!! its so incredible and I've never seen anything like that. great site :)
posted by supermedusa at 3:24 PM on October 7, 2010

Yeah, I like it. I you haven't seen the book Meetings with Remarkable Trees, you should seek it out.
posted by OmieWise at 4:20 PM on October 7, 2010

America's National Parks: A John Muir Retrospective -- Explore this collection of John Muir's historic writings in The Atlantic that inspired the establishment of America's national parks. "God has cared for these trees, saved them from drought, disease, and avalanches; but he cannot save them from fools—only Uncle Sam can do that."
posted by kliuless at 6:09 PM on October 7, 2010 [1 favorite]

beautiful, thanks
posted by toodleydoodley at 8:01 PM on October 7, 2010

The first photo is Turnip Rock in Port Austin, Michigan. Nice photos. Thanks for posting.
posted by various at 8:08 PM on October 7, 2010

Those pics gave me wood.
posted by OHenryPacey at 11:51 AM on October 8, 2010

What a post. Thankyouthankyou. Now I have desktop photos 4-ever!
posted by telstar at 2:36 PM on October 8, 2010