Sorry to be so late in posting today. I’ve been waiting to share with you the work involved in dismantling an old oak tree. It’s a big job, and took some time.
Someone who knows more about forestry than I suggested this one to be at least 150 years old. It has served as home to many furry and feathered creatures throughout its lifetime.
Fifty to sixty years ago, a neighborhood was constructed, shaded by its many branches. As the severity of storms in our area has increased, the owners decided the great oak should go at the time of their choosing, rather than Mother Nature’s.
Late last week, the work commenced, and today, it is finished.
Like a wide-eyed child, I watched with wonder as the young man skillfully tied ropes and wielded his chainsaw, dropping sections of the tree so carefully to the crew on the ground.
I felt the thud a couple of large chunks of trunk made as they hit the ground and rattled the windows.
It’s hard to believe that a tiny acorn, possibly planted by a squirrel busily storing food for winter during the Civil War, could have been the beginning of its life.
patti, that was wonderful! and sort of sad too, for we, just as that oak, shelter many people in our lives, and then, the day death cuts us down, we return to the earth, just as that would will more than likely become mulch to use for growing more life.
life is a continuous mobius strip, never truly ending. even when we die, our bodies furnish the ground that houses the worms that feed the bird, gives shelter to unknown number and varieties of insects and plants…
ground which a tiny acorn may someday be planted in….
an acorn that will grow into a mighty oak…
and we will be part of it.
love you,
marantha
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The circle of life. Thanks for stopping by! Love you, too, girl.
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Yes, it is sad to see it go. Amazing to think how those huge trees grow from tiny acorns.
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It is amazing, isn’t it, Dianna? One of our rhododendron took a direct hit, but the center of it seems to be intact. Time will tell how they will adapt to their new sunny location.
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Ahhh, so sad, Patti. Truly the end of an era. Thanks for sharing what had to be an emotional display.
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It is sad. There’s a terrible gaping hole in the landscape where it stood.
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oh, sad to see it taken down…
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It is sad to see it go, but it would have been sadder to see it fall on a neighbor’s house in a storm.
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It’s sad, but new acorns will sprout new trees. We’ve had lots of storms. I understand why it would need to come down. Thank you for sharing with us. What a huge undertaking to cut it down. Great photos. Blessings to you, Patti…
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Yes, a huge undertaking. I was amazed at how much control he had on it just using ropes. Thanks, blessings to you, too, Carol.
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Sad, it was so beautiful. The oak in front of our house shades both our house and the neighbor, concerned that a storm might knock limbs on one of our housees, and can only imagine how hot our homes would be in the summer without it. For now it stays.
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I’m sure it makes a big difference in the amount of sun that reaches your houses. Oaks are sturdy, hopefully yours won’t cause any problems.
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beautifully written…hate to see a tree that had weathered so much have to come down…sad…
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Thank you. It is a sad day, to see something so grand destroyed. It will keep several families warm next winter, or however long it takes the wood to season. I’m glad you stopped by and took the time to comment.
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I’ve watched huge trees come down and isn’t it something! Really sad, I think (unless they’re trees we truly truly dislike and don’t need there). But yes, to think how long they’ve lived and all they’ve “seen”.. Amazing. I posted a photo of a camphor tree here in FL that has been in it’s protected spot for over 100 years, now encircled by our civilization traffic. I wish I could know what IT has “seen”. Come on, Patricia, trees don’t have eyes! But you know what I mean.
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It is an experience to watch, Patricia. I saw the camphor tree, chuckled at your comment regarding that one’s inability to be invasive. Yes, they saw to that. It would be nice to see a slideshow of how the landscape has changed over the years.
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That’s so sad.
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It is. That corner of our lot looks so barren now, we’re going to have to plant something over there. But now we have the option of putting in a tree that we didn’t have before. 🙂
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A beautiful tree which held many secrets is gone but the tree’s life (and demise) was chronicled by you which means it will live on. Very nice!
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Thanks. I’m sure we’ll be pulling mini oaks out of the yard for quite some time, thanks to the squirrels and blue jays. 🙂
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