Looking Up Is Where It’s At: A Springtime Story

Yeah, Another Blogger

When my phone rang at 10 AM on April 27, I knew that I would be in for a scolding. That’s because the name displayed on the phone was none other than Dooitt Orr Else, the no-nonsense CEO of the blogosphere. I’d never had the pleasure of speaking with Mrs. Else, but I knew all about her. Bottom line: she does not suffer fools gladly.

I answered the call. “Hello, can I help you?” I asked, my voice trembling.

“Help me? I doubt it, fool. But you can help yourself. Listen, mister — and, by the way, this is Dooitt Orr Else speaking — it has come to my attention that you have yet to publish an article that centers around spring 2021. What is the matter with you? You’ve written about past springs, have you not? The answer is yes. Therefore it will be unacceptable if you allow the present season to vanish into your rearview mirror without comment.”

“Sir, you have fallen short of the contractual obligations that you entered into with WordPress. Get to work on a spring-related article or I shall be forced to revoke your writing privileges. Not that anyone would mind if I did. Over and out!”

Holy shit, that conversation, if you can call it that, left me worried. I mean, what the hell would I do with my freed-up time if I no longer were allowed to hurl my words of quasi-wisdom into cyberspace? Man, I don’t want to learn how to do yoga. And I don’t want to learn how to bake. Hence, the next day I took to the streets to see what spin I might put on spring 2021.

A lovely day it was when I began the adventure soon after breakfast. On the hazy side, yes, but there’s a charm to haziness. And the temperature was very comfortable, so I knew that I wouldn’t start sweating like a pig as I pounded the sidewalks. My plan was to admire and investigate the flora on some of the blocks in my neighborhood and also on some in a nearby area, as nature had begun to come alive gloriously several weeks earlier. Most deciduous trees were fully in leaf. And many of their flowering varieties were strutting their stuff. But what would be my focus? I wasn’t sure when I left the house, but two minutes later I knew.

I knew, because I decided to photograph a pine tree on a home’s front lawn, but not from a distance. Instead, I got real close to the densely-needled beauty and looked up. What a view! No pavement, no houses, no electrical wires were part of the scene. Nothing but the tree and the sky. The template for the walk, and for the story that you now are reading, immediately fell into place. I would look upward frequently and see what was to be found.

The natural world, needless to say, is infinitely complicated in terms of design, structure, materials, color, and in terms of every other aspect that one might think of. We reside on a planet that is an absolute wonderland. These facts are what hit me the hardest as I wandered along, stopping here and there to peer heavenward through tree branches. The branches, the leaves and needles, the blossoms on those trees so adorned, interplayed at wild angles, combining to form intricate canvases, canvases that shape-shifted whenever I changed position even slightly. Add to this the play of sunlight and the calmness of the sky . . .  the sights were truly stunning.

What’s more, most of the canvases looked like works of modern art to me, swaths of colors and in-your-face immediacy being major parts of their hearts and souls. But I also enjoyed the more delicate constructions, especially the unassuming manner in which one tree, with a smattering of white petals on its thin branches, met the sky.

For the past 18 months I’ve been walking my ass off in my and other neighborhoods, most of them in the Philadelphia burbs, doing so for health reasons and also to get off the living room sofa often enough so as not to take root on it. I’m a lazy guy at the core, though, not one who is thrilled about engaging in regular exercise sessions. But I plan to maintain the routine for as long as I am able. And looking up will help. As the title of this opus says, that’s where it’s at. Sometimes, anyway.

Okay, Mrs. Else. I’ve met your demand. Don’t call me again anytime soon!

(Please don’t be shy about adding your comments. Gracias.)

128 thoughts on “Looking Up Is Where It’s At: A Springtime Story”

  1. Lynette d'Arty-Cross's avatar Lynette d'Arty-Cross May 17, 2021 / 12:59 am

    I love your photo of the green canopy with the pinpoints of light through the leaves! Beautiful! Your walk produced some lovely green views.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply
  2. Suzanne's avatar Suzanne May 17, 2021 / 1:29 am

    Weren’t you lucky not to trip up on any tree roots with all that up viewing 😉 Yes, I must admit looking up does give a different view and, in your experience, lovely spring growth.

    Liked by 3 people

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  3. Audrey Driscoll's avatar Audrey Driscoll May 17, 2021 / 1:43 am

    You’re right–looking up into trees gives one a new perspective. I love that long-needled pine, the white flowers against the blue sky, and the green Japanese maple. I think Suzanne is right about tripping; I sometimes feel dizzy when I look down after looking up at clouds or birds. But it’s worth it.

    Liked by 4 people

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  4. johnlmalone's avatar johnlmalone May 17, 2021 / 2:45 am

    You’ve done a superb job of representing Spring in words and pics, Neil; Mrs. Else will be chuffed and off your case 🙂

    Liked by 3 people

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  6. Annika Perry's avatar Annika Perry May 17, 2021 / 3:38 am

    Neil, beautiful and artistic descriptions of natural world around you and I wholeheartedly agree that ‘We reside on a planet that is an absolute wonderland.’ Aren’t we lucky?! 😀

    Liked by 4 people

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    • Yeah, Another Blogger's avatar Yeah, Another Blogger May 17, 2021 / 5:36 pm

      We surely are lucky. And hopefully enough of humanity will wake up in time to stop the damage that we cause the planet.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  7. swabby429's avatar swabby429 May 17, 2021 / 4:41 am

    You have some pretty cool shots of those trees. One must be mindful of perched birds that have loose bowels. (personal experience)

    Liked by 3 people

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  9. shoreacres's avatar shoreacres May 17, 2021 / 7:36 am

    What a unique and interesting post. I really enjoyed it: words and images alike.

    Liked by 3 people

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  10. sheetalbravon's avatar sheetalbravon May 17, 2021 / 7:41 am

    Your words of ‘quasi-wisdom’ made me smile and I can speak from experience, yoga is tough. Loved your description of the walk, the canvas you painted with your words was simply gorgeous. A beautiful post, Neil.

    Liked by 3 people

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  11. Joyce HAMILTON's avatar Joyce HAMILTON May 17, 2021 / 8:00 am

    Always enjoy your photos. You ate getting quite good at it.

    Liked by 3 people

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  12. Paddy Tobin's avatar Paddy Tobin May 17, 2021 / 8:07 am

    When things are looking up, all’s well with the world!

    Liked by 3 people

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    • Yeah, Another Blogger's avatar Yeah, Another Blogger May 17, 2021 / 2:29 pm

      Humanity has unending problems. Despite that, things often are fine for many people. Thanks for stopping by, Paddy. See you.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  13. Laurie Graves's avatar Laurie Graves May 17, 2021 / 8:39 am

    I love looking up into trees. However, I’m even lazier than you are. I usually do it when I’m sitting at the patio table. There is sometimes a drink in my hand. 😉 Cheers to spring!

    Liked by 3 people

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  14. Janakay | YouMightAsWellRead's avatar Janakay | YouMightAsWellRead May 17, 2021 / 8:39 am

    Lovely photos! Your joy in the natural world is contagious (in a nice way!) — it’s almost enough to get me out of my chair and off for a walk!
    Isn’t it wonderful, to sometimes change your perspective & literally look at an object in a totally different way?

    Liked by 3 people

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  15. Helen Devries's avatar Helen Devries May 17, 2021 / 9:03 am

    Each tree has its own ‘personality’….and you capture that so well. Keep on looking up.

    Liked by 3 people

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  16. Jacqui Murray's avatar Jacqui Murray May 17, 2021 / 10:16 am

    My comment was going to be ‘Hang up on her!’ but, she makes a good point. I need to post a ‘welcome to spring’ article also!

    Liked by 2 people

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  18. Fran Johns's avatar Fran Johns May 17, 2021 / 11:40 am

    Lovely piece, lovely pix. An altogether uplifting, pun intended, way to start the day. Thanks!

    Liked by 3 people

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  19. sniderjerry's avatar sniderjerry May 17, 2021 / 11:53 am

    Hello Neil, Thank you for this TREE mendous essay. Have a great day. Jerry

    Liked by 3 people

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  20. Ann Coleman's avatar Ann Coleman May 17, 2021 / 11:58 am

    First of all, good call not to ignore DoitorElse, as Word Press has ways of making us very, very, sorry when we cross them. Secondly, I loved your photos! Whenever I’m feeling a little blue, all I have to do is go outside and look up. As your photos clearly demonstrated, the view is fabulous and my faith in the world is restored.

    Liked by 3 people

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  21. Robert Parker's avatar Robert Parker May 17, 2021 / 12:14 pm

    “Man in Philly suburbs found staring into space. When questioned by concerned neighbors, tells them he’s waiting for his ride home.” Nice photos, nice essay Neil. I love looking up through the trees, this time of year, the cooper beeches are my favorite, the leaves change color as you go through the spring into summer.

    Liked by 3 people

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    • Yeah, Another Blogger's avatar Yeah, Another Blogger May 17, 2021 / 2:42 pm

      You know, I guess I was wondering if any home owners would ask me what the heck I’m doing, or tell me to get off their lawns. But I picked my moments, and didn’t have any problems!

      Liked by 1 person

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  23. Donna Cameron's avatar Donna Cameron May 17, 2021 / 1:05 pm

    Loved the unusual angles and artistry of the tree photos. Looking forward to seeing what Mrs. Else inspires or decrees for summer.

    Liked by 3 people

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  24. Basia Korzeniowska's avatar Basia Korzeniowska May 17, 2021 / 1:12 pm

    Looking up is always good but I have to stop and do it or I fall over. So I have spent most of my life happily looking down and exploring the cracks between the pavements. You’d be surprised how fascinating that can be . grasses, flowers, bugs and insects, things people have discarded. I actually have a friend who found so much gold in the form of chains, broken earrings etc that he amassed enough over the years to have wedding rings made from his findings for himself and his wife!
    I’ve not had that sort of luck, but there have been some lovely moments.
    I sometimes hope that Mrs Orr Else might give me a call – without her bullying I seldom get round to doing anything!

    Liked by 3 people

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  25. snakesinthegrass2014's avatar snakesinthegrass2014 May 17, 2021 / 1:21 pm

    Geez, I had no idea WordPress had such goons working for them. Thanks for the head’s up! Great pics. Spring is here finally. – Marty

    Liked by 3 people

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    • Yeah, Another Blogger's avatar Yeah, Another Blogger May 17, 2021 / 2:49 pm

      And summer can’t be far away! — here in the Philly region, the daytime highs are predicted to be in the 90s (Fahrenheit) starting a couple of days from now.

      Liked by 1 person

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  26. talebender's avatar talebender May 17, 2021 / 1:27 pm

    If you lie down in a copse of trees, you could indulge your love of looking up without the need for excessive exercise…..just a thought.
    But your best writing is the result of moving around, right?

    Liked by 3 people

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    • Yeah, Another Blogger's avatar Yeah, Another Blogger May 17, 2021 / 2:51 pm

      You know, when I began this site in 2015, I had no idea that eventually I’d be writing plenty of stories that involve walking around while looking at things. I like writing them.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  27. eden baylee's avatar eden baylee May 17, 2021 / 1:38 pm

    Hi Neil, nice reminder to look skyward.
    I stood under a willow tree and looked up; it was spectacular, so much better than just staring at it straight on.

    Happy Spring!
    eden

    Liked by 3 people

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  29. Dave's avatar Dave May 17, 2021 / 2:14 pm

    Your post reminded me of our first visit to Savannah, GA several years ago. Once inside the town limits, you can’t help but look up through the branches of countless Southern Oaks, draped generously with Spanish moss. It’s a sight to behold and a little unnerving. The growth is so dense it allows for another level of living up there. Locals warned us to watch out for descending birds, snakes, spiders, and so on. A unique ecosystem.

    Liked by 3 people

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  30. miel's avatar Miel May 17, 2021 / 2:27 pm

    I’m a lazy person as well, I think I need to do some walking myself. 😅

    Liked by 3 people

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    • Yeah, Another Blogger's avatar Yeah, Another Blogger May 17, 2021 / 4:34 pm

      In late 2019 I started doing a lot of walking for health reasons. But walking also is good for other reasons — it calms me down a little, for example, and it gets me out of the house!

      Liked by 1 person

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      • miel's avatar Miel May 17, 2021 / 7:48 pm

        Wish it’s colder here so I won’t get lazy to go out. I live in the UAE and summer time it’s usually 35-50 degrees Celsius 🥵

        Liked by 2 people

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  31. Rosaliene Bacchus's avatar Rosaliene Bacchus May 17, 2021 / 2:31 pm

    I love trees! Your photos are all beautiful, reminding us of what we miss when we don’t look up at Mother Nature’s gift to us. The last photo in the series is my favorite. An excellent composition. The first photo of the pine tree sparks with life, like nature’s fireworks.

    Liked by 3 people

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  32. tylerus's avatar tylerus May 17, 2021 / 3:09 pm

    Nice pics – I do enjoy tree watching. We have some beauties in the nearby cemetery.

    Liked by 3 people

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    • Yeah, Another Blogger's avatar Yeah, Another Blogger May 17, 2021 / 4:38 pm

      Most trees are beautiful. And trees help purify the air, among other benefits. Enjoy the week, Tyler. I appreciate your stopping by.

      Like

      Reply
    • Yeah, Another Blogger's avatar Yeah, Another Blogger May 17, 2021 / 4:39 pm

      Thanks, JT. I’m about to go out for a walk, and I’ll do some looking up while I’m out there.

      Like

      Reply
  35. Candice's avatar Candice May 17, 2021 / 5:04 pm

    We miss a lot if we keep our eyes glued to the ground. Thanks for the reminder to look up!

    Liked by 3 people

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  36. annieasksyou's avatar annieasksyou May 17, 2021 / 5:26 pm

    I think this is one of my favorites from your oeuvre, Neil. It’s pure delight, from beginning to end. Whether or not you needed a threat from Lady Doit, you done it!

    Liked by 3 people

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  37. FROLIC AND FEED FARM's avatar workinacresnothours May 17, 2021 / 5:26 pm

    Love the new outlook on your walks. We have to look up around our property to make sure there are no branches ready to drop & knock us out. haha. Plus it is pretty cool. Some of your photos do look like artwork glad no birdies pooped on ya. lol.

    Liked by 3 people

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    • Yeah, Another Blogger's avatar Yeah, Another Blogger May 17, 2021 / 7:39 pm

      The last time a bird did its business on me was about seven years ago. It’s probably due to happen again pretty soon.

      Liked by 1 person

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  39. tanjabrittonwriter's avatar tanjabrittonwriter May 17, 2021 / 11:30 pm

    Keep walking and keep looking up, Neil. You never know what other marvels you will come across. Thank you for sharing the views.
    Best,
    Tanja

    Liked by 3 people

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      • tanjabrittonwriter's avatar tanjabrittonwriter May 18, 2021 / 11:10 am

        Maybe not all the time, as I would miss the birds on the ground and in the water, but a lot. And sometimes I see animals that are not birds in the trees, such as porcupines or racoons. 🙂

        Liked by 2 people

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  40. wings of a tern's avatar rivertoprambles May 18, 2021 / 11:26 am

    Looking up we see some awesome colors, patterns, textures reflected in those pictures, an enjoyment we continue to experience throughout the month, as long as we’re careful, too, of where we put our feet.

    Liked by 3 people

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  41. alison41's avatar alison41 May 18, 2021 / 11:53 am

    Wonderful photos. I’m a fan of trees. We should look up more often.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply
  42. Pam Lazos's avatar Pam Lazos May 18, 2021 / 2:05 pm

    No yoga, Neil? Really?!
    Trees are definitely among my top ten favs. Another thing they do, other than. Being beautiful, is reduce the traffic noise!

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