Friday Shoot-Out: Trees

This is Oregon and Trees R Us. They are 100% of the reason why we live here: it was twelve years ago that John accepted a position in the large and venerable OSU College of Forestry. I love being in the temperate rain forest that is our home.

Trees are a magnificent part of our landscape; almost half of the state is covered by forest, and of that 67% is publicly owned, therefore easily accessible.

(John's photo)
The timber industry is Oregon's leading business. Trees are also at the heart of environmental concerns; Corvallis was the epicenter of the spotted-owl debates of the 1980's and 90s.

Everywhere you look here, trees will get your attention--even if they are no longer alive.

They provide habitat for wild creatures, both large...

...and small.

An oak provides our firewood.

There are hundreds of Christmas tree farms here.

An old-growth Doug Fir, the signature tree of our area, is too big to capture on my camera.

(John's photo)
A young stand of Doug Fir in the OSU forest

Doug Firs grow fast and get huge.

A fallen fir gathers moss.

(John's photo)
The size of clear cuts is strictly controlled these days, and harvested areas must be immediately planted with seedlings.

(John's photo)
East of the Cascades you find Ponderosa pine with its red bark; in the distance is evidence of a forest fire, part of the natural cycle of western forests.

Ponderosa pine is well-adapted to fire, as you can see from the burned bark.

The bark of a white oak tree

Peeling red bark of a madrone

I love it when a farmer permits one big tree to stand in the middle of a field. Other than a love of beauty there is no other reason to allow this.

The branches of an oak in early spring.

I like this sunny hilltop overlooking town. Sometimes we walk our dogs here.

Lichen covers the branches of deciduous trees from fall to late spring.

And in the spring many trees are gloriously full of blossoms.

There are few things that I look forward to more than when the trees come back to life!