When i was a kid there was one Tall Tree just up the hill from my house. It could be seen from all over and the amazing thing was it grew in the bottom of a deep ravine and still towered above all the rest growing on the high sides. The best huckleberries and blue lady slipper orchids grew at its feet and i went there often.
I loved that tree.
One day we noticed that Tall Trees top had been cut off by some nut job.
Coincidentally i had just learned at school that a tree begins to die the minute its top is cut off. Maybe the vandal was in my class, got the idea and just had a mean streak, i don't know.
I knew it might take 20 yrs to die but it was going to die and knowing that was sad.
I didn't return for 40 yrs after i left (other than to funerals in the dead of winter and i guess i didn't think to look up for Tall Tree) I had 3 grandkids with me and i wanted to show them Tall Tree. We came in from the other direction and i drove up as far as i could and still not seeing it i made them all hike with me to look for it. Guess i was in denial that it was gone.
Everything was all different of course and all the trees in the vicinity of where Tall Tree used to stand so stately were really thin and spindly and bent and leaning onto each other.
A sudden wind came up and the sound of them rubbing against each other was like screeching, moaning and crying and so spooky we high tailed it outta there real fast.
I think those trees missed their king and couldn't thrive without Tall Tree. I told the kids they were in mourning and i really believe it might be true.
On this visit there i didn't even look up that way. Guess i'm still in mourning too.
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2 comments:
One tree taller than the others; it looks a little bit out of place ;-)
When i was a kid there was one Tall Tree just up the hill from my house. It could be seen from all over and the amazing thing was it grew in the bottom of a deep ravine and still towered above all the rest growing on the high sides.
The best huckleberries and blue lady slipper orchids grew at its feet and i went there often.
I loved that tree.
One day we noticed that Tall Trees top had been cut off by some nut job.
Coincidentally i had just learned at school that a tree begins to die the minute its top is cut off. Maybe the vandal was in my class, got the idea and just had a mean streak, i don't know.
I knew it might take 20 yrs to die but it was going to die and knowing that was sad.
I didn't return for 40 yrs after i left (other than to funerals in the dead of winter and i guess i didn't think to look up for Tall Tree)
I had 3 grandkids with me and i wanted to show them Tall Tree.
We came in from the other direction and i drove up as far as i could and still not seeing it i made them all hike with me to look for it. Guess i was in denial that it was gone.
Everything was all different of course and all the trees in the vicinity of where Tall Tree used to stand so stately were really thin and spindly and bent and leaning onto each other.
A sudden wind came up and the sound of them rubbing against each other was like screeching, moaning and crying and so spooky we high tailed it outta there real fast.
I think those trees missed their king and couldn't thrive without Tall Tree. I told the kids they were in mourning and i really believe it might be true.
On this visit there i didn't even look up that way. Guess i'm still in mourning too.
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