liveoak log

fatherhood log

The previous log was written by my daughter. She likes to sit in my lap and bang the keys on my computer. I give her few restrictions when it comes to handling technology. I freely let her play with my phone. Often she just studies it like it is an object d'art. She twirls it around in her hand. She is a curious about the back side of the phone as she is with the screen which lights up periodically, reacting to her movement.

Is this bad parenting? I don't know. It's not as if I put a phone in her crib or give it to her with a purpose to neglect watching her. I often learn something new from watching her interact with the technology. Many happy accidents are dicovered. Easter eggs are found. Features are revealed. Web pages are magnified 1000% and the photos look like a work of art.

This morning she was pretending to talk on the phone but she actually called my mother. I could hear my Mom's voice on the speaker before I realised what had hapened. The connection was made. So I put it on speaker and we had a nice conversation.

These little moments are the joy of fatherhood to me. A child is a continuous disruption of routine. I have learned that it is best to go with the flow. Let the little accidents and disruptions happen. That is the gift of modern life.

It is raining outside this morning. The rain is steady and cold as a front is moving through the area. My family is safe inside our humble home. There is a nice fire in our fireplace. My family is gathered together. We have everything we need for now. I think this is what the Scandinavian people refer to as Hygge - a condition of cozy warmth. I feel very greateful for this moment in time.

Thank you for reading my log.

gemlog from my daughter (thirteen months old)

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sweetgum log

This morning my mother-in-law came to the house to pick up our baby. The baby spends two days a week with her so that her mother and I can work. As we were loading the child into her car seat my mother-in-law looked up and asked "What kind of tree is that?" I had to admit that I didn't know.

The tree sits between our driveway and our neighbor's drive. It is tall and the leaves are now a faded, reddish hue. The tree is dropping thousands of seed pods on the ground around it. The seed pods are spherical sharp barbs. It hurts to step on them barefoot. The seed pods also drop onto our car and clog up the vents. I have to clean them out from time to time.

Before I set down to work I started thinking about this tree. we have lived in this house for over five years and I know nothing about this next-door neighbor. I looked up to see if I could find a guide to the trees of South Carolina. I found this PDF resource published by Clemson University.

http://www.northinlet.sc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/ClemsonTrees.pdf

After analyzing the leaf structure and the hard seed pods I identified this tree as a Sweetgum.

This is the first step on my mission to live more intentionally. I will pay more attention to the natural world around me. I am going to start by learning the names of the trees in my yard and then the trees in my neighbor's. Then I will notice the trees in my neighborhood.

about log

I just finished reading The Overstory by Richard Powers. The book is about trees and people's relationship to trees. I am still processing the power of this book. It inspired me to create this gemlog and to give it a name. Live Oak trees are unique to the coastal area where I live. The trees can grow for centuries. Their branches twist and bend. There is often Spanish Moss clinging to them. They have a romantic, stately presence. I am going to strive pay more attention to them. I will listen to the trees and be around them more.

I will write more later.

Thank you for stopping by.