Transcendent

[vaneramos]

Another thought from Arctic Dreams by Barry Lopez:

The land is like poetry: it is inexplicably coherent, it is transcendent in its meaning, and it has the power to elevate a consideration of human life.

Monotropa uniflora grows all around our cottage. It lacks chlorophyll and is parasitic on fungi, which in turn take nutrients from tree roots, so it thrives in dense shade. But each evening the setting sun slants through the trees from the road cut and swamp west of our property, illuminating the plants like pale ghosts with light from another world.

Comments

[bearfinch.livejournal.com]

I remember learning about those in botany class. They are sometimes called "beech-drops" because they are always found near beech trees that their host fungi are commensurate with.

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

That's interesting. We only have one medium-sized beech tree on our property, and many of the Indian-pipes are near it, but a few are quite far away. The dominant trees are hemlock, cedar, balsam fir, red maple, yellow birch, striped maple and mountain maple. I'll have to take a closer look next time, but the beech is my favourite hardwood, so I tend not to overlook it. Beeches are colonial, so I suppose their roots get around.

Up periscope!

[inishglora.livejournal.com]

The center stalk resembles an eye blinking through a periscope.

Re: Up periscope!

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

Yes, and there is something preternaturally human about these odd little plants. No wonder one of their common monikers is "ghost plant".

Re: Up periscope!

[inishglora.livejournal.com]

I should ask, is that quote by Barry Lopez from his book Crow and Weasel?

Re: Up periscope!

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

No, from Arctic Dreams. Have you read Lopez?

Re: Up periscope!

[inishglora.livejournal.com]

Only Crow & Weasel but the quote sounds just like it came from either book. :o) I'll have to look for this Arctic Dreams now.

Re: Up periscope!

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

Is Crow & Weasel fiction or non-fiction? Arctic Dreams is a series of essays about his experiences in the Arctic, however I have also read Light Action in the Caribbean and The Grace Note of the Cactus Wren, which were collections of short fiction, and they were equally riveting. He is one of my favourite writers.

Re: Up periscope!

[inishglora.livejournal.com]

Fiction, illustrated very well in watercolors. The cover, which shows a crow and a weasel wearing Plains Indian clothing, was what caught my eye. All the characters are anthropomorphized animals. The story is deeply compelling to me, for many reasons.

Thanks for naming the other books. I will go look this weekend! :o)