Of Trees and Tractors and Lightning Bolts

[jarrardi]

When I first moved in to my current residence, five or so years ago, there was a tree that always caught my eye as I drove down the road. It stood alone at the corner of a pasture, black and blasted straight down the center, to that it was only three quarters of a shell with nothing inside except char and cinder and vacant emptiness. Very obviously lightning-struck. And very obviously dead. But something happened later that fall that amazed me. The tree put on leaves. It was still a blackened, ruined hulk, but the branches on the half of the tree that remained showed signs of green. And yellow. Growing yellow leaves. It was a strange sight, but no less amazing for it. And that winter, it even put on seeds. Ever since then, it's been putting on new leaves, and turning them gold or brown and dropping them, going to seed, and blooming with gusts of cotton. It doesn't go with the flow, of course. Sometimes it'll drop its leaves when all the other trees are just growing them, sometimes it'll have already gone to see by the time the other trees first start to bud. Sometimes it'll be springing forth with new life while all the other trees are dying back for winter. But it does everything with its whole heart, and slowly, slowly the gaping wound in its trunk is closing. It's no longer black, but a beautiful oaken healthy color, and the white of healing, new-grown cambium. It's a very beautiful tree in its own, quiet way. It's an inspiration to me, and perhaps to us all....


Oh, and because I thought it was funny....


(Idaho Traffic Jam)