I hear, but understand
Contrarily, and walk into the woods.
I leave labor and load,
Take up a different story.
I keep an inventory
Of wonders and of uncommercial goods…
—Wendell Berry from Sabbath Poems - 1979, IV
Stingy Hollow Tall Tree
Lengthening
Old Man Sycamore, Woodford Co.
Route 33, Jessamine County, Kentucky
Sacred Spaces: Cane Ridge: Trees | Paris, Bourbon County, KY.
Loire Valley. France
Shawnee Run Dry Creek. Mercer County, Kentucky.
Eradicated Lineage. Mercer County, Kentucky.
Catalpa Tree. Asbury University. Wilmore, KY. USA
Groot Constantia Vineyards. South Africa.
Doubletree. Scotland Cay, Bahamas. 1/8th sec. f11•16
Scotland Cay. Bahamas
Buoy Tree. Scotland Cay, Bahamas. 1/8th sec. f45 150mm
Story Tree. Sifnos, Greece. 1/8th sec. f45. 150mm.
Tree, Shadow on Agios Konstantinos. Sifnos, Greece. 1/5th sec. f64
Olive Grove. Sifnos, Greece. 1/8th sec. f11•16
Cemetery Tree, and Agean Sea. Sifnos, Greece. 10 secs. f45. 90mm.
Pine Grove. Sifnos, Greece. 2 secs. f45. 90mm.
Cedar and Gate with View of Valley looking towards Kastro. Sifnos, Greece.
View Down to Kastro, Sifnos, Greece. 1/15th sec. f45. 90mm.
Shaker Village - Tree and Rock Fence. 1/4 sec. f32, 90mm.
Sycamore at Keeneland
Pompidou Centre. Paris.
Jacaranda at Regina Mundi, Soweto.
Mountain trail in Okutama. Tokyo, Japan.
Cedar in Snow, Pulaski Co
Painted tree along road. Artemonas, Sifnos, Greece.
Inventory of Wonders
Then shall all the trees of the wood sing for joy…
—Psalm 96:12b
…Trees visibly express familiar narratives. How a given tree responds to its environment is illustrative of how we humans live our lives. Cultural and interpersonal relationships, life experiences, fears and upbringing—these all shape and define the human experience. Trees’ sculptural characteristics stand out to me, dancing, waving and singing in the fields as I drive by. They hint at secrets when happened upon in the woods. They clue me into the nature of memory. Full of stories, they fuel my imagination and wonder.