Hello and Good day to you.
How are you today?
Learning Dutch, I would say, I am feeling “goed” (good).
Sitting here softly in a window~seat of Cyres Cafe Antwerp, one of my favourite places to BE. It’s a wonderful experience, to be in The Cafe of Dreams inside The Cafe of Dreams. Loving the way Friend of The Cafe, Victoria, phrased it yesterday evening:
. . .from this amazing Cyres Cafe on-line to the all-inspiring Cyres Cafe in-life. . .making it all HAPPEN !
So, what has been happening in LEOPOLD DE WAEL STRAAT this morning? Well, each (beautiful) building has a tree outside of it. How charming is that, a tree-lined street! Including Cyres Cafe, of course. We have our very own natural beauty. This morning, there are, what I call, tree surgeons, in the street. Hehee, might also call them, tree hairdressers. The two men have a mechanical lift, like a big Tonka toy; one of the men stands on the platform and the other mechanically raises the platform up, so that the tree can get a thorough hair cut. And oh boy, they are being thorough. They’ve cut two trees so far, with their manual power tool (looks like an electric chainsaw) … and the trees look bald … naked! No “little trim” here! They’ve shaved close to the trunk. A radical re-style. Hope the trees like it! They have matching cuts now!! At the bottom of both trees lies a pile of thin branches, like when you have a lot of hair cut off at the hairdressers and it all lies around your seat until it is swept away. I wonder what they’ll do with all that wood, hope it’s put to good use. Which brings us very neatly to The Cyres Cafe Tree that I’m now looking up at. What a beauty! I wonder if it will be getting the close shave treatment today. It has an old nest in it, which I enjoy looking at and will miss if it’s brushed away.
I feel blessed that Cyres Cafe has a tree. The question of the moment, do I hug it?! Now that’s for you to decide!
If you’re passing The Cafe and know what tree type this is, please pop in and let me know, so I can share the information with all Online Friends.
Does your window look out at a tree?
February 26th, 2008 at 6:26 pm
What an amazingly gorgeous picture you have painted with your words. Since you are asking, I not only have a window that looks out on a tree- I have.. a balcony that is.. almost IN a tree!
Oohhh.. I simply L-O-V-E this, as each day I appreciate this fine gorgeously magnificent pin oak tree. The wild birds and squirrels that live among its branches are a wonderful source of amusement, quite frequently throughout a typical day.
Even MORE amazing, is the fact that I decided upon this place-where-I-am-living.. from a thousand miles away, sight unseen. I take great pleasure in feeding the wild birds (10 species so far!) daily.. and there is a miraculous story (that hatched within the branches of this fine tree) that began unfolding last spring. A purple finch baby bird. Now it is almost a year old- and visits me quite regularly. Ummm… you might be wondering- so what?? WELL, dear reader.. THIS bird… has… NO eyes. Yep.
When I first noticed this, I was in shock, great sorrow.. and almost “took it in” and would have “caged it”. It probably would have ended up dying from a broken spirit- and I just could not be a part of that. So. I decided to “hand- train” it.. so it would land on my hand when it heard me whistle. It flies with a “posse” of about five other birds. *LOL* I can always tell when this miracle of flight is close.. as the chirping is ceaseless! I do believe this is how it “sees”- and doesn’t end up smacking itself into something! This amazing bond with its friends- and the resiliency which this little sparrow has, has greatly enriched my life.
Yep. I DO “hug-this-tree”! Quite happily. It provides me with music (the rustling of the leaves, chirping of birds- rain pattering upon the branches). It provides me with shade in the summer.. new life in the spring.. and death in the fall and winter months. The complete “circle of life” if you will. This tree provides me with so much mystery and inspiration- I felt I should honour its presence by sharing this story here. At THIS place of miracles.. wonder.. and inspiration- the Cyres Caring Cafe.
February 26th, 2008 at 8:53 pm
Amazing reply also from Victoria:
You will never belive this but …when I was a very young Mom one of the first fun- time rituals I taught my 4 yr old son was… . .hugging EVERY tree along the LEOPOLD DEWAELSTRAAT on our way home to the LAMBERMONTPLAATS ! ! ! Your story of the trees there just made me shed a tear, remembering how perplexed we were, staring out our window, every time “our” trees got “shaved bald” . . .& how happy in April when they sprouted fresh new leaves !
This happened more than 35 yrs. ago, so you see, in Antwerp some things just never change &… alles is goed
February 27th, 2008 at 9:03 am
Oh Jane! THANK YOU for the glimpse through the looking glass window…drinking deeply!
Hug the tree. Trees recognize people. Besides, it’s very grounding. Make a tree’s day and make your day better!
Sue, we listen to that same magical song each day. Isn’t the melody delicious? When the wind rushes through the wood, it sounds like the surf with white horses on on it. When I close my eyes, I could truly believe I was on the shore! Mmmm Trees
As soon as spring arrives I’ll get the camera out and film it.
Jane I’m looking forward to looking through your window often!