Letter writing was a big part of my childhood because that's the way our family stayed in touch over long miles. Letters to my grandparents were sent to and from our little post office once a week. My mother's family were more the "Hi, how are you, this is what's happened at our house this week" type of letter writers, but the ones on my Dad's side of the family had an entirely different tone and those were the ones I liked best. Dad's side of the family tree was filled with wordsmiths who painted pictures and defined emotions and taught life lessons because they knew how to turn a phrase. They were as entertaining as books to me with their stories of old memories, random thoughts, philosophies, and teachings written with humor and sparkling intelligence. I was blessed to inherit a tiny portion of that ability and therefore, I have no choice but to tell my stories.
This is the mesquite tree in my backyard. There are several varieties of mesquites. This one is actually a native of Chili but they adapted so well to the desert that they're a staple of our landscaping. The two thorny mesquite trees in the front yard are Arizona natives.
Mesquite trees of any origin are marvels of Nature's engineering. For one thing, there's almost as much tree under the ground as there is above it and it's almost identical in shape. The tree has a tap root that serves as an anchor and it's usually about the same size and length as the main trunk. Tap roots sink deep into our stony earth and if you've ever tried to dig one up, you'll quickly find that once they're there, they don't intend to go anywhere! But that's the anchor root that holds the tree in place and keeps it safe from wind storms.
The mesquite tree also has a network of smaller roots that are close to the surface in order to absorb what little rain we get in the desert. It quickly shuttles that moisture to the tap root to be stored for later. Most desert plants have a water storage system of some kind which is amazing when you stop and think about it. But the smaller roots on the mesquite have their own job to do collecting water and the tree has its own way of protecting them. That small root system is identical to the diameter of the tree canopy to provide shade and cooling for little roots that could be damaged by sun and heat.
Ah, the heat. One of the first things we little Desert Rats are taught is that if you are caught out in the heat, find a mesquite tree and get in the shade. It's almost always at least ten to fifteen degrees cooler in the shade of a mesquite tree. There's a reason for that and it's yet another marvel of engineering.
The leaves of a mesquite tree are tiny and lacy which means that they are equipped to allow breezes to pass thru them. Not only does that better equip the tree to withstand high winds but it also creates more of a breeze when the leaves and branches move. An even more amazing thing about the mesquite is that the branches are interwoven; creating the effect of a suspension bridge to strengthen itself. Mesquite trees know how to bend and sway in the winds and that keeps them safe. Those interlocking branches are also the perfect place for birds to nest because they create natural hammocks. It's a habit of large birds such as rock doves to perch in one of those hammocks to support their large body while stretching out their wings to catch a breeze and cool themselves.
The tree provides protection from predators too. My backyard can be full of birds at the feeders but one warning cry will cause a "whoosh" of wings and it's as if the tree has sucked every single bird up into its branches in the blink of an eye. Less than a second later I'll see the hawk come barreling thru but even with her keen eyesight, the little birds are safe within the lacy camouflage. At the top of the tree, the wee little yellow-rumped warblers spend their time performing aerial acrobatics like miniature raptors as they snatch bugs out of mid-air.
There is so much life going on inside these amazing trees and one would never know how tough they are just by looking at them or how much they can withstand if they need to. Not only can they survive, but they thrive to the point of being able to nurture others as well. Some people are like that too. Come sit with me under the mesquite tree and we'll talk of life.
One of the great things about the internet is that the writing, letters, and musings which were once the sole property of paper journals left in dusty attics for uncaring distant relatives are now out there for the whole world to read. Perhaps it's because I have no distant (or even close) relatives to toss out my journals without reading them that I take to the internet. Blogs are a great way of talking to yourself only to discover that other people are listening.
I have some interesting life stories to tell and while not all of them are very nice, I'll probably tell them anyway because I've learned that when we share something dark, it creates a light for someone else. Most of the time though, my ramblings will be about life in general, my cats, living in the desert, my cats, my passion for building dollhouses, more cats......well, you get the idea. I don't claim to tell funny stories, but I like to think that I can tell stories in a funny way so most of the time, there will be at least a quiet chuckle and the occasional fit of giggles.
The reason I chose the title "Under the Mesquite Tree" is because that's where most of my life occurs here in southern Arizona. After some odd illnesses that limit my activity levels, I spend a lot of my time on the patio in my backyard under the shade of my mesquite tree. As backyards go, it's typical of the southwest........8 foot tall cement walls around the yard that's mostly gravel with a funky shaped spot of grassy lawn to one side. The front yard, also gravel, has two thorny mesquite trees and 8 varieties of yucca plants plus four large rosemary bushes. My front yard isn't the place to go stumbling around in the dark unless you want to have a pincushion experience, but the backyard is where I live and watch life.
This is the mesquite tree in my backyard. There are several varieties of mesquites. This one is actually a native of Chili but they adapted so well to the desert that they're a staple of our landscaping. The two thorny mesquite trees in the front yard are Arizona natives.
Mesquite trees of any origin are marvels of Nature's engineering. For one thing, there's almost as much tree under the ground as there is above it and it's almost identical in shape. The tree has a tap root that serves as an anchor and it's usually about the same size and length as the main trunk. Tap roots sink deep into our stony earth and if you've ever tried to dig one up, you'll quickly find that once they're there, they don't intend to go anywhere! But that's the anchor root that holds the tree in place and keeps it safe from wind storms.
The mesquite tree also has a network of smaller roots that are close to the surface in order to absorb what little rain we get in the desert. It quickly shuttles that moisture to the tap root to be stored for later. Most desert plants have a water storage system of some kind which is amazing when you stop and think about it. But the smaller roots on the mesquite have their own job to do collecting water and the tree has its own way of protecting them. That small root system is identical to the diameter of the tree canopy to provide shade and cooling for little roots that could be damaged by sun and heat.
Ah, the heat. One of the first things we little Desert Rats are taught is that if you are caught out in the heat, find a mesquite tree and get in the shade. It's almost always at least ten to fifteen degrees cooler in the shade of a mesquite tree. There's a reason for that and it's yet another marvel of engineering.
The leaves of a mesquite tree are tiny and lacy which means that they are equipped to allow breezes to pass thru them. Not only does that better equip the tree to withstand high winds but it also creates more of a breeze when the leaves and branches move. An even more amazing thing about the mesquite is that the branches are interwoven; creating the effect of a suspension bridge to strengthen itself. Mesquite trees know how to bend and sway in the winds and that keeps them safe. Those interlocking branches are also the perfect place for birds to nest because they create natural hammocks. It's a habit of large birds such as rock doves to perch in one of those hammocks to support their large body while stretching out their wings to catch a breeze and cool themselves.
The tree provides protection from predators too. My backyard can be full of birds at the feeders but one warning cry will cause a "whoosh" of wings and it's as if the tree has sucked every single bird up into its branches in the blink of an eye. Less than a second later I'll see the hawk come barreling thru but even with her keen eyesight, the little birds are safe within the lacy camouflage. At the top of the tree, the wee little yellow-rumped warblers spend their time performing aerial acrobatics like miniature raptors as they snatch bugs out of mid-air.
There is so much life going on inside these amazing trees and one would never know how tough they are just by looking at them or how much they can withstand if they need to. Not only can they survive, but they thrive to the point of being able to nurture others as well. Some people are like that too. Come sit with me under the mesquite tree and we'll talk of life.
