February 2016
Ok, I'll admit it. I'm a tree hugger.
I have always marveled and wondered at trees. What a wonderful resource for us! The uses for trees are endless. I could hardly cover half of them in 1000 words. I'm not much of a wood worker or a carpenter. But I'm certainly appreciative of all that is made with wood, especially well made furniture. I'm also enamored in old wooden structures, and thoroughly enjoy looking at their architecture and construction. Back in the day, carpentry was quite a skill, done by people with very primitive tools and limited resources. Things were built to last - and last they most certainly did.
However, I think I enjoy live trees far more than dead ones. There is such a diversity of trees in our land that I can hardly understand how mother nature finds room for all of them. I have often wondered about what makes a particular tree grow (or not grow) at a particular place. I know that climate, soil conditions, and other scientific factors must play into this. But sometimes when I'm in the right state of mind, I think that the statistical odds of all of this just falling into place are astronomical. Surely to some extent, there must be a divine intervention at work here.
I love eating seasonal ripe fruits and picking it from a tree is a blessing beyond my words. Once my wife and I drove though the Sacramento Valley during harvest season and she got so frustrated from me stopping at EVERY road side fruit stand I could find, just to purchase 1 or 2 individual fruits and eat them right on the spot. Of course, that was accompanied with 10 minutes of wonderful conversation with the orchard owner, glued to his or her every word like a 5 year old at story time.
With respect to riding, trees inevitably play a part in my adventures. I look forward every Fall to some kind of leaf peeping ride, where I hope to witness the initial drying of leaves within some kind of hardwood forest. In 2013, some friends and I spent a week in the Appalachians during the peak of color and it was truly amazing. Every shade on the pyramid between brown and green was represented in an oversized palette that can only be described as spiritual. I spent 30 minutes sitting on top of Grandfather Mountain on the Blue Ridge Parkway completely immersed in the landscape beneath me. In early October 2015, I rode through western Colorado during the peak of the Aspen change. In my 50 years, I'd never seen such a golden landscape. There is no picture that can do this justice. No lens possess enough depth of field to capture the beauty of a peaceful forest in season. No, you honestly have to see this to believe it.
Trees have a part in my riding bucket list. For example, to date, I have never seen a Walnut tree. This is something that I hope to rectify soon. Also in my future is a ride to north Georgia during the apple harvesting season. I'm told there are hundreds of varieties there, and I hope to try as many as I can.
At home here in Louisiana, we have our own varieties of beautiful trees. Our swamps support Cypress, Tupelo, and Willow trees. These species grow and thrive while submerged in water. In the central part of the State, pecan trees are prevalent. The produce nuts every other year, as I assume the energy to do this is taxing to the overall health of the tree. There are many kinds of pecans, but I particularly enjoy eating the short, fat, oily ones. They kind of taste like butter. And butter is good, any way you can get it.
But by far, my favorite tree is the majestic Live Oak. A relatively short species, this variety is not good for lumber. No, the Live Oak was given to us for shade. It can grow incredibly large, with its leaf canopy spanning well over a hundred feet. Spanish moss clings to it like a magnet, providing even more shade on a hot summer day. The live oak sheds its leaves in March, and even so, only sheds a small portion of them. Thus, it maintains a leafy branch all year round, perhaps giving some credence to its name - it looks "live" all of the time.
But for me, the Live Oak tree means so much more. It can live to be over 300 years old. Nothing gets that old without adapting to its environment VERY well. A closer examination of the Live Oak's structure tells volumes about this. The trunk twist as it grows, lending more leverage and structural support to the heaviest of branches. The large branches are quite flexible for their massive weight. They have adapted to survive our strongest hurricanes, with winds of 100 mph or higher. In storms, these branches bend, lean, and give to avoid snapping and breaking. I find this fascinating. In my own life, I try to learn from the Live Oak's example. When conflict finds me, especially when it's uncompromising, I get through it best when I lean a little. Bend a little to avoid "snapping". Looking at these beautiful trees reminds me of this lesson, and I am very grateful for it indeed.
Hwy 3000 near Ramah, Louisiana. Enjoying some shade among a 250 year old Live Oak Tree.
