This one took us awhile, but we finally decided that the red looked like craggy lava and the top of a toad's head, so first I present Lava Toad.
This was another tough one. We finally named it Sir Percy from the Scarlet Pimpernel because it has grace and elegance and a beautifully textured trunk. It also seems like it's doing a foppish bow, but three trees have broken across it (so it's actually much stronger than it looks)!
Next we have one of Cameorn's favorites... the Pepper Pecker tree. He didn't know what "pecker" could be slang for, but after his giggles we still agreed that it was pepper colored and had lots of wood pecker holes so the fun alliteration stuck :)
Split Fire got it's name because it splits as it arches over the road and has a red top. We also liked that it sounds like "spit fire".
Sky Diver seems to be jumping straight out horizontally and spreading arms in the air!
Spartan Spears vs. Spartan Spikes
First, we thought there were nine and they're in a ring, so Andrew helped me name it The Fellowship of the Ring. But, then we found there were ten. Cameron and I recalled that the Spartans sometimes set up a rule of ten in cities and then we had a long debate about the shape of Redwoods being more like spears or spikes... I think he likes spikes best, but be ready for an earful if you ask!
I think we had the longest discussion over this tree because I thought it was most like the character of Murtagh in the Eragon series who changes from a bad guy and, at the end of the story, has made himself a better person and is just starting on a virtuous path haltingly. The tree itself looks dead, but a lovely vine twines around it and seems like a lovely new life starting. Cameron thinks it's most like Frodo because Frodo goes off to the undying lands after the the trials of ring (a place with is beautiful like the vine and the trials were withering... the tree). So, we started bargaining... "Murphy" like a combo of the sounds of Murtagh and Frodo. Cameron came back with "Frotag" since he found Frodo more applicable. We were both pretty set in our ways and thus we present this tree as "Murphy Frotag" with some good-natured grumbling on each side.
Emerald dancer was actually easy to name because there's vibrant green moss and it seems like people leaning away, limbs posed in an elegant dance.
This one is unofficially named "Animal Menagerie" because we see many different animals in it. The easiest one to see is the sperm whale, the knoll is the eye.
Cameron hasn't agreed yet, but I think of this one as Gandalf because it's a bit apart and different and old and gray.
Elephant Warrior or Elephant Hero
Cameron sees the trunk of the tree as the body of the elephant.
It's standing on it's back legs and it's front two legs are thrust out.
The next branch going to the right is it's trunk and there's a knoll by the trunk that looks like an eye.
There's also the red tree branches intertwined which he sees as a red serpent being fought by the elephant.
Finally, Galadriel's retreat is named because it's such a grand old tree and it has a twirl in the top where she could sit and enjoy more of a elven cottage feel when leaving the huge mallorn trees for some quiet escape. It's quite stately and grand, but in a much more cozy way.
 |
| She could sit right in that little, circular crook in the top, middle, left... and have a lovely view. |
Voila, Cameron and I have been busy traveling our road and imagining together :)
UPDATE (A few more additions, but he's now focused on middle school so we'll have a break.)
He said he named this one Aragorn because it's close to the others, but a little apart and is majestic and tall and healthy. It's also a different kind of tree as Aragorn is a different kind of human.
We named the thin, white, straight tree on the right "Ranofer" and the dark one coming and attacking it from the left "Gebu" after the characters from The Golden Goblet. Ranofer grows straight and prevails despite his horrible situation, but ends the book slight and just at the beginning of his dream. Gebu is stronger and bigger, but bent and falling at the end. We spent the walk looking for a good Ranofer tree and found the Gebu one a bonus!
Finally, I named this one Atticus because it's tall and strong and guards the entrance to our house. It has a scrawny side tree which can be the Atticus from "Go Set a Watchman". The Atticus I know and love is still soaring and strong and standing tall!
These are two trees we don't have names for yet, but will figure out. One is part of the Ivy Ladies, but has a split bottom that needs a story. The other has such interesting textures and leans away from the road in an intriguing way. That's it for now :)
One update, the one above is now called Adult Ranofer. The idea is that Ranofer's life was going sideways at the beginning of the novel, but he stayed honest and good and, as an adult, would be straightening out and strong. It's a beautiful tree as is the life we imagine Ranofer would build.
