Monday, April 18, 2011

Thematic Photographic - Let treedom ring

Thematic Photographic" - Carmi at the blog Written, Inc. presents a weekly themed photographic challenge. This week's theme is "Let treedom ring" - which as Carmi says, encourages us to explore trees and themes of spring.

At the end of our road, a private driveway leads up the hill. At the base of the driveway, there's chunk of tree.

It's dried and seasoned. The bark has been removed, and the aged wood beneath is silvery grey.


When I came close, I thought for a moment that it had been carved by some kind of mechanical tool, like a router or Dremel tool, in an intricate yet mysterious graphic pattern, curled and curving into figures, maps, scrolls, lines.....

But no, no human hand was behind these arts. These figures were created by some kind of insect - colonies of insects, probably - I don't know what - burrowing and tunneling in the wood for years and years back when it was alive.

And you can see the holes made by woodpeckers that preyed on those insects, too.

This corner has seen some other interesting ornaments. You'll see more.

5 comments:

Max Sartin said...

You captured the beauty in nature, even in a dead tree trunk. I have a lot of dead trees on the property in Duchesne, and it is amazing what the insects will do.

Gilly said...

I love that silvery trunk. I've no idea what insect burrowed under the bark - we have various sorts here, but you probably have special sun-lovers over there! ;)

21 Wits said...

For trees even in death, sometimes even more so really, they have such an awesome life! Very cool post for TP!!!!

DoanLegacy said...

That's intriguing design by the insects, and really amazing!

JCK said...

Always love your photography. This is especially intriguing.