Our neighborhood used to be filled with alder trees until disease and insects brought many of them down. We've been lucky. We planted two alders, no bigger than yardsticks, in our backyard over 30 years ago, and they have thrived. Until last summer. One of the alders died. We waited in hope that the few green leaves left would generate new growth, but instead they curled up and fell off. Another victim of drought, we thought
Recently we watched as the 20-something foot tall tree came down in a matter of three hours. One man agilely climbed up the tree, rope and saw in hand, took off lower branches -- many larger than the original stick we planted -- lowered them to the ground on the rope, and then cut chunks off the main trunk.
A week later, we watched as Glenn Sievert, a tree sculptor, used a buzz saw to carve out two bears from the leftover trunk giving new life to an old tree. We topped off the bears with Santa hats.
This is our tree story. Do you have a story about a tree?
Best of the holidays to you and yours. May you be filled with joy, comfort, and good cheer.
I love your backyard bears! So cute and a wonderful way to "re-purpose" those stumps.
ReplyDeleteI don't have a tree story but I lose a 75-100 ft pine almost every year to disease. Those tree climbers who bring them down safely are amazing to watch.
Jean,
DeleteDid you ever climb trees when you were a kid? Did you ever have a kite wind up in a tree? Did you plant the pine trees? I'm just throwing out ideas because I know, as a fellow writer, that sometimes prompts can get you started!
These bears join two other groups of bears in our backyard.
Sad, cute, poetic. Wishing you a lovely holiday!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Jan!
DeleteI grew up on a suburban street planted with California Sycamore seedlings. They all grew differently due to seedling variation but we loved them. Big leaves to rake into piles in fall, bare winter branches limber and constantly moving in the breeze, thick deep shade when the days were hot and still. The sell of damp Sycamore leaves takes me back instantly to those years. Now I live where a county park has groves of native Sycamores along an ancient creek. Some are 100 ft tall with trunks big enough to become banquet tables. I'm in heaven there in Biddle Park--winter, spring, summer or fall--and 6 years old again.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your story -- wonderful memories. We had towering maple trees that have since been cut down by new owners. Sad. There is so much meaning in trees. Check out the website Treewhispers. Pamela Paulsrud has put together a beautiful exhibit with stories of trees from all over the country. Your story belongs with them!
DeleteLove this story of tree transformation! Thank you, Martha
ReplyDeleteThank you, Lori. Trees touch me in a profound way -- as if I'm reaching back to the beginning of time.
DeleteLove what you did with the tree too!
ReplyDeleteHi,
DeleteThank you! Our two bears join to other groups of two in our yard. They are fun to look at and a good reminder of what was there before.
Sad about your tree, very creative outcome with the bears and Santa hats!
ReplyDeleteYes, trees are hard to cut down. We get attached to them.
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