Quaking with The Quakies

Populous tremuloides is a deciduos tree native to cooler areas of North America and one of several species referred to by the name aspen It is also commonly called quaking aspen. 
 
Okay, now that we’ve dispensed with the dry part of this blog post, on to the delightful. And aspens are delightful. Truly. Before moving to Utah, I’d never lived in an area where aspens were native. I’d heard people wax poetic about them, but I hadn’t really understood why. My first real encounter with the why of aspens happened in Taos New Mexico. We were visiting a friend who took us for a hike. We were well into the aspen grove and everything was appropriately lovely. But then he told us to stand still and look up. As a breeze came through, the then yellow aspen leaves (it was fall) started moving. Shimmering. Yellow turned to gold. It was like living in the middle of magic. It was a level of delight that hit you, smack in the heart.
 
Here, in Park City, there are aspens everywhere. And while everything is currently green and not gold, sitting and watching the aspen leave is still something that hits with joy. And with all the stresses that life brings, stopping and watching the quakies is a pure way to re-center. So, if you happen to happen upon an aspen/quakie, I strongly suggest that you stop and look up. It’s pretty great.
 
 
Cheers to your next visit,
Your Resort Resident