Frontier Dreams: A la Tim Burton

Thursday, January 12, 2012

A la Tim Burton

When I saw this tree, the first thing that came to mind was 'Tim Burton'. It's beautiful, and creepy all at the same time. Can you see it? Tim Burton has such an intriguing and unique artistic style that stands out from anything else I have ever seen. During my young 'artsy days', while living in Los Angeles - one of the movie capitals of the US, I had a bit of an obsession with his films and art. Oh and Jane's Addiction, too. They were my LA soundtrack. I used to have his book The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy, and Other Storieson my nightstand at all times. It's quite funny to think about that now, seeing as how I hardly ever watch movies anymore. Wow, it makes me feel old... Anyways, back to this crazy tree.

K and I saw it on our family walk Christmas day and literally stopped in our tracks. I think we both did a double take. We had to go and explore it up close. It's as if the tree has armor on it - the whole thing, every single branch is covered. Or as if it is a gigantic tree sized pine cone. I don't know, but I have never seen anything like it. I was half expecting it to come to life and reach out for us. I swear it looks like it's reaching for K in the one picture above. Hmmm, I think I may know where K's crazy imagination comes from...

I couldn't get a picture of the entire tree as it was late in the day and my natural light was fading fast, not to mention I only have a 50mm 1.8 lens (my 1.4 is still boxed up waiting for me to ship it off for repair), which makes it pretty tricky to take photographs of big trees amongst other things. In all of our walks through this area I don't ever remember seeing such a peculiar tree, and believe me this would have stuck out in my head. I wonder if perhaps it only looks like this in the winter? Or maybe it's diseased? I honestly have no clue. Have any of you ever seen such a thing before? We joke that Oregon is home to fairytale forests with it's large amounts of moss, big toadstools and constant greenery. It just looks like what I have always pictured the land of fairies to look like while growing up. This tree seems as though it would belong in a dark forest ruled by a cruel king... or something of that nature. Wow, I do believe my imagination is just running away with me right now!

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CrunchyCatholicMomma · 690 weeks ago

I've never seen a tree like that one either but you are right, it would grow in a dark forest ruled by a cruel king! I thought Narnia but Tim Burton works too.

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boatbaby2 85p · 690 weeks ago

I think it's a Monkey Puzzle tree... you should ask a long time local.

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Emilie · 690 weeks ago

My first thought was a Monkey Puzzle, too.

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Christine · 690 weeks ago

That is a monkey puzzle tree! There are several scattered around Portland. I think that one is diseased because the others I've seen are green year-round. I was told the reason there are so many around here is because they were given out at one of the world fairs that I guess was around here. I think they are from South America. Obviously, they stood out to me too when I first saw it...they are scary! Imagine if one of those heavy, prickly branches fell on someone!

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Liz · 690 weeks ago

Yes! A monkey puzzle tree! The property my father-in-law grew up has them all over the place. They're called monkey puzzles because of the sharp points that grow upwards, monkeys can climb up unharmed but can't get back down without getting poked. And, you are right, they are totally Tim Burton-esque.

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a little crafty nest · 690 weeks ago

Nicole, They are up here on the coast of Canada, too. They are wonderfully eccentric. Monkey trees are what we call them, too. I didn't know that about why the puzzle...thanks Liz!
xo Jules

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April · 690 weeks ago

I grew up in Portland as well, and now live in a small town about forty minutes away. I love Monkey Puzzle trees, I tried to grow one once, but it didn't do well in my yard. I have seen many beautiful ones around, they are usually green. The one in your pictures looks very large, I imagine it is very old. I agree, Oregon has amazing "fairy tale" forests, they were right in choosing to film Grimm here. A walk through our old growth forests is amazing. Great pictures!

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Joy · 690 weeks ago

What a lovely tree! I remember stopping like that to investigate so many trees in Alaska. Everything was just so different from our southeast trees. :)

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w-s wanderings · 690 weeks ago

I read the title, scrolled down to the photos and immediately understood the link between the two. That tree is fascinating. And I LOVE the things that I learn in Blogland. A Monkey Puzzle tree; I would never have imagined - and I'm pretty good at imagining!

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amy · 690 weeks ago

We call them monkey puzzle trees here in the UK too, there is one near my old school here in the North East of England. I would say this one looks a bit poorly but they are intriguing trees! Love Tim Burton too x

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Carrie · 690 weeks ago

I LOVE Tim Burton, which is why, like a lot of things in Waldorf Education, I ignore skipping the black crayons. We might not have Tim Burton if he wasn't allowed a black crayon! Well, that, and I think black is a beautiful color, it is the color of our eye pupils, and of some people's hair!

2 replies · active 689 weeks ago

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guest100000001 · 690 weeks ago

lol Most peoples hair, globally anyways :)

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FrontierDreams 111p · 689 weeks ago

I hear ya!

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Rosaleen Carter · 690 weeks ago

Monkey puzzle tree I think, we had one in the town I grew up nearby the entrance of my school!

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Elle · 690 weeks ago

It's a monkey puzzle tree, so called because monkeys are puzzled about how to climb up their spiky branches. In summer, the whole thing is a lovely dark green.

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Sarah · 690 weeks ago

It's amazing! We do miss trees here on our barren Island.

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Jessica · 690 weeks ago

We always called my grandma's a monkey tree....didn't know about the puzzle part. Hers was green year-round so something might be going on for that one. There's one right up the road from us too...love them, they remind me of my childhood!

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Nina · 690 weeks ago

i've never seen a tree like this before (but hey i live in the netherlands :P)!
it does look like it could fit right in to a tim burton movie, love it!

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barefootnmama 35p · 689 weeks ago

these photos are fabulous! What a beautiful tribute to the beauty of Nature!

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FrontierDreams 111p · 689 weeks ago

Thank you so much everyone! I love how I learn something new everyday. I told K about her monkey puzzle tree and she burst into giggles and then spent at least a couple of hours pretending to be a monkey climbing up the monkey puzzle tree.

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Thank you for joining me here. My name is Nicole Spring AKA wife, Waldorf homeschooling Mama to four sweet little ones, homemaker of the radical kind, knitter, cook, seamstress, student of life as well as my children, crafter, girl of all trades... and always with a camera in hand to document our days so we may look back at these glorious yet exhausting times.

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