Living on a tree

In case you don't know, you absolutely must: You can live in a palm tree. Or, rather, on one. We humans have actually shaped the land (played God, if you will) and created Palm tree islands in Dubai, sticking out into the Persian Gulf.

OK, so you can only live here if you have millions of dollars.

These are (or will be) the three largest man-made islands in the world. (one is still barely begun, but when finished, it will put the other two to shame). Currently, The Palm Jumeirah is considered the Eighth man-made wonder of the world. "Helping solve Dubai’s beach shortage, the island has doubled Dubai’s existing coastline and will also double the number of beachfront hotels in the city."
Ironically, I don't imagine there are too many trees growing on these homemade tree islands. Can anyone verify this? Has anyone been there? Does anyone have anything good to say about these extravagant, opulent, arboreal (FAKE!!) islands?

Resigned

"I like trees because they seem more resigned to the way they have to live than other things do."

– Willa Cather

(Thanks, Blue!)

tree top

I'd like to climb up there.

Ansel Adams

Today's featured artist is Ansel Adams - a master of breathtaking black and white landscape photography. I've collected several of his famous tree photographs here.

Adams was a pianist, photographer, writer and environmentalist born in San Francisco in 1902. He loved nature from a very young age and spent a great deal of time hiking, exploring and photographing in Yosemite National Park and the Sierra Nevada. Adams was devoted to conservation issues, and fought hard to protect areas of American wilderness from development. He also worked to promote photography as fine art and played a role in establishing the first department of photography at the MOMA.

See more photos here and here.




I hope that my work will encourage self expression in others and stimulate the search for beauty and creative excitement in the great world around us.

- Ansel Adams (1902-1984)

Happy New Year