Magic Happens

Originally I had typed up an essay about fairies and fairy homes. I could resort to talking about how flowers are temporary summer homes for fairies, but the more I looked through the photos I have taken, the more I decided that what I really look for in nature is the opportunity for magic.

Whether the magic is in a color pallet that looks not only interesting but practically shows the artist's brush-strokes right there on the living petals and leaves, or whether it is in the similarity of shape and contrast of colors, it is magic all the same.

Pine trees are tradition, but what if you had a real tree that glowed on its own?

Fall is especially a time of magic for me. Things are dying, leaves are falling off, and yet it is incredibly beautiful. It's as if the trees and flowers are saying, "Don't forget me, I'll be back again." And while the snow provides a beautiful blanket, it seems to me that we decorate our christmas trees and other holiday things to reflect the bright colors of fall.

Bark fascinates me. The dryad or fairy that lives in this tree would have messy long hair, don't you think?

But more importantly, I think, is the fact that these images inspire ideas. They take your mind from the hum-drum of the day and let you see an idea, a magic, things that don't belong in your normal world and yet might be a part of it anyway. That is why myths and fables and folklore exist. There are so many wonderous things out there that we don't understand. And what if the nature around us is part of that world and we don't see it or realize it because we can't understand it.

And dying trees... Wow, they are incredible all on their own.There are years and years of stories and things these once thriving pillars of life were witness to, and it's all recorded in the rings of wood and in the scars and patterns on the bark. I, for one, am sure there's a reason that Aspen bark looks like it has eyes.

dying trees have their own personality as well. This bark could be used for armor, or masks, or pure decoration

If I have a point, meandering as it may be, it is simply that Magic Happens whether we see it or not. We were blessed with this beautiful world filled with color, life, growth, and death. If nothing else, let us witness the magic around us before we go on out of this life, and regret that we missed it.

I don't know what the real name of this tree is, but I call it a puzzle tree. All of the pieces of bark that fall on the ground look like pieces to a jigsaw puzzle. I love the texture and colors of these trees, and I imagine that whoever lives inside has puzzle related decor or skin patterns.

While it looks like it's tattered and falling apart, it also reminds me of bandages and healing. I love this tree

This tree is my favorite reference for fairy doors and tree houses. It looks like it has a door to another world built right in. I used it for a couple pictures in March 2012.

My friend Peggy took this picture in the Old Pioneer Cemetary in Soda Springs, Idaho.
To me, this looks like long flowing hair with eyes peeking out.

Yet another fairy door!!

Boo

I see armor and defenses and little doors and windows. What do you see?

A royal fairy would hold court here. This rose looks like a throne to me.