The trees are alive! Yikes!
jaybeacham 15 Mar 2016 | : blog
Sixteen years ago the road in front of my house was widened. In the process four of my mulberry trees were torn out.
The contractors were related to me and kindly moved the torn out trees to a vacant lot to the west of my house.
I was able to then cut them up for firewood.
It took me a while with chainsaw, axe, and wedges over several weeks to get the task completed.
As I neared the end, one stump kept dulling my chain saw blade in just a minute or two.
Finally I gave that up and took the wedges and sledge hammer and split the log.
In so doing the culprit for dulling the chain was revealed. It was a metal rat tail file.
The file was still in good shape except for the spot where it and the saw chain had met.
A distant cousin of mine had grown up in the house where I live, his parents being the people who built the house.
I told him about my experience and he said, “I always wondered what happened to that file.”
Left in the crouch of the tree, it had in the ensuing years become completely encased by the tree with no outward sign that anything was inside.
This evening I told that story to C. Asay, a retired veterinarian doctor.
He told of a horse shoe he once placed in a tree and over the years watched as “the tree ate it”.
“That may be a problem for someone like the file someday.” he said.
My goodness, the trees are alive. Yikes!
There may then be a lot of truth to the song that says “The hills are alive” if the trees do in fact slowly eat things.
I’ve seen photos of a bicycle grown over and high up in a tree and other things being encased by trees.
But the one I find most amusing is the one just west of the current county library in St. George, Utah on 100 South street.
Several years ago I saw and photographed a sycamore tree firmly holding a “No Parking” sign as if the tree was the natural frame for the sign.
I thought that was so true, one had better not park here to long or else the tree would get a hold on them.
Two weeks ago I was taking photos of the fine old houses on that tree lined street, one of the loveliest streets in town.
I noticed the sycamore tree too. But where was the sign? So I took a photo or two.
Upon examining the photos, it looks to me as though I can still see the letters of the sign in the smooth outside bark of the tree.
That tree really meant it when it said “No Parking” for it ate the sign sure as shooting.
What do you think?