Monday, December 26, 2011

Inside Cedars

The tall cedars of the prairies always look large and impenetrable.  They’re like granite monuments intended to occupy a solid space that is inviolable by anything that might approach.  In some ways they perform just such a function and are living landmarks that have survived the many changes around them.

On closer inspection, small patches of sky can be perceived through the cedar canopy.  The tree appears less solid than it did from afar. 

From inside, the tree seems almost light and airy.  Plenty of room in here, if you can maneuver around the branches.  The upper part of the tree is a favorite roost site of hawks and owls. A fine selection of suitable perches here, good protection from the elements and a nice visual screen to hide the birds of prey from bothersome crows.

It may be hard to see in from the outside, but you can get a good view over the prairie from high inside the tree.  I’m assuming that smaller creatures would have an easier time than I did in trying to maneuver upward through the crowd of cedar branches

When birds feast on cedar berries, it’s inside the canopy that they sit to enjoy their feast.  Squirrels nest inside the cedars and move from tree to tree without being seen by predators.  It’s well worth the time to stick your head inside the branches of a few cedars to see what might be living inside.  Even if all you see is cedar, it’s from a perspective that offers its own unique qualities that are equally attractive as the covering of green foliage seen from the outside.

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