Sunday, August 14, 2011

Weekend project--the big tree

This was one of my best trees at the farm----100 years old, 80 feet tall pin oak--and down it came on a pasture divider fence.
It was almost 4'6" in diameter, so you can imagine how hard it was to get it cut up so that it was movable. It took a major part of the weekend and a lot of equipment. It had been struck by lightning at least once, but this was the good part of it. Even chopped up, the tractor could not drag it--it was eventually able to be shoved enough out of the way that the fence can be re-built. It smashed t-posts, and generally made a nuisance of itself. Even the smaller branches will make great firewood--now if I only had a fireplace!~


This was the second and larger of two trees that I have always loved. They were right next to each other The first one came down in early June, and when this one came down, it was not immediately apparent to me that it had happened because I assumed what I was seeing was remnants of the first one. You know how you can look at something and know it is not right, but not know what the problem is? I looked and looked at that tree line for God knows how long before I realized what had happened. I used to spend hours under these two trees when we would get a new horse that was somewhat wary of people. I would prop myself up against them with a book and wait for the horse to get curious enough about me to come to me. I cannot even count how many hours I sat there. It breaks my heart to have lost them, especially because they were so beautiful. Those two trees were what I thought of when I thought of the farm layout--and now they are gone.

Its almost symbolic isnt it? Something can be part of the fabric of your life for so long you do not think about it until it is gone. But then, it changes and you learn to like something different--and maybe forget what it was ever like.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Trees 'definitely' are like friends. They will be missed---but go and plant another one and watch it 'grow up' to be another GOOD friend.

The farm is a good nice place---no matter what-----

Take care and enjoy Carol

Queen-Size funny bone said...

we recently had a in our front yard come down. it was the biggest american larch in all of new england. over 300 years old. I'm still so sad. the front of our house will never look the same. my kids swung in it as babies and had prom photos in front of it. we lost a family friend for sure. I've decided to keep the stump and plant flowers as a reminder.

the cubicle's backporch said...

It's funny how objects such as trees impact you. You see them everyday and don't think so much about them and then they're gone and you realize what a big part of things they were.

I agree with Carol though... it's time to plant a new tree. The possibilities are endless. Any tree that YOU want. And then you just have to avoid it with the lawnmower/bushhog.

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