I don’t have a lot of cool party tricks. I know a lot about bourbon from my years in the biz, but I tend to really geek out on that. People are interested in it or after about five minutes, you see their eyes glaze over. One of my more impressive skills is that I can identify trees and give you many of their scientific names.
This skill dates back to high school and my great, but somewhat intense, biology teacher, Mr. Potts. This man loved trees like nobody’s business.
I was first introduced to Mr. Potts on a trip to a regional science fair in seventh grade. My friend, Polly, and I went to the science fair. It was about three hours from where we lived and we rode the school bus with the high school kids.
We sat a couple of rows behind Mr. Potts and he had a handful of nerdy high school kids around him. He would point out the window at various trees the whole trip and ask the students what kind of tree it was. He would then make them recite their scientific name. Polly and I were fascinated. Who can name trees along the road at 50 MPH?
The whole scene was really weird. However, in less than three years, I would be one of those nerds naming the trees and rolling off the scientific names. Fast forward 30-plus years and I’m still doing it. I love trees. I want to hug them all—unless poison ivy is involved. I’m very allergic to that shit.
In college, I regaled my future husband with this skill, but he was hesitant to believe I was not just making crap up. Then one day we were hiking in a state forest and the trees were identified and labeled with both their common and scientific names. He would run ahead and cover the little plaques and then quiz me. I passed with flying colors. He was in awe of this mad skill. It may have been what made him decide he had to have me.
Over the years, I’ve tried to keep these skills up. While hiking I still try to identify trees around me and remember their scientific name. I have a book I use for identification as well. I also have an app on my phone to help me name foliage. It’s a good skill.
I think of Mr. Potts often. He was a great teacher. My favorite. He just loved science and nature. During the spring and fall, our class met outside every day to walk around school and identified plants, trees, and oh yes, birds! He actually taught us bird calls.
We walked all over the neighborhoods surrounding our school looking at nature. I guess the locals were used to Mr. Potts traipsing through their yards and grabbing leaves for his collection. In all honesty, doing a leaf collection for his biology class was one of my favorite projects ever. It gave me a love for trees that I carry to this day.
I have a friend who is always calling me and asking for tree advice. I have no training in this other than the wealth of knowledge Mr. Potts taught me in high school. However, I know some stuff and always love tree talk.
Nature is amazing. Trees are the best. I’m so grateful to Mr. Potts for developing this love of trees in my formative years. I’m glad it has stuck. Oh, how I would love to have a beer with him and wander around his yard in the woods naming trees.
Angela Traver
What is this blog about? Well, it's a general blog, but it is also a very specific blog. If you get that reference, you get a gold star! I have been a public relations professional and writer of press releases for more than 20 years—primarily in the booze biz. I decided to do some writing for fun and embrace the humor that gets me through most days. Hopefully it will make you chuckle—or at least smile. I’m a certified crazy magnet, and more than a little nutty myself, so buckle up. Also, I have two vices—profanity and red wine/whiskey. You’ve been warned. It should also be noted, that I’m a HUGE Bob & Sheri fan. I’ve been a listener for more than 20 years. This opportunity is a dream come true and it may have made me cry. That being said, I cry at everything. If you are into booze, dogs, food and/or knitting, hit me up on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter (although I’m terrible at Twitter and it scares me) @kyspiritsgal. You can also find all my previous blog posts at www.kyspiritsgal.com.
