15 Comments
Jul 1Liked by Diana Pappas, Tom Bland

Love the immensity (is that a word?) captured in the image!

If I did a similar story it would have to be the Black Walnut we have, which is likely to become part of a story as I plan to experiment with using some of the walnuts in a Kombucha.

Looking forward to the new adventures in the new place!

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Thank you Joe! It is indeed an immense tree and I am glad that comes across here.I like to think that everyone has a special tree friend (whether they are aware of it or not). I think it is fitting that yours has something to contribute to your kombucha!

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Jul 1Liked by Diana Pappas, PappasBland, Tom Bland

That's one beautiful old tree. We have a mixture of red and white oaks interspersed with sugar maples. All youngsters now at about half a century but already towering over our driveway. They are all friends and I love them dearly. I remember crying during an ice storm one year, when all around were the sounds of breaking branches. Mostly these were white birches snapping in half, but the oaks were forever changed that day too. What a privilege it is to live long enough in one place to know the life of a tree. Thank you for your essay. A lucky tree to have you as a friend.

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Thank you, John! Your driveway is so beautiful, and now I know why - it is lined with friends. We lost the dogwood tree I grew up with outside my bedroom window last year and I am misting up just thinking about it now - it peaked in time for our wedding back in 2012 and had been on the decline for the last 5 years before it called it quits last year. A devastating loss... I sure hope this white oak outlives us all.

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Jul 1Liked by Diana Pappas, Tom Bland

That is a beautiful tree and it is looking very healthy. Lovely image Diana!

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Thank you! It is looking lovely this year - not too stressed thankfully!

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Jul 2Liked by Diana Pappas, Tom Bland

What a glorious, gorgeous tree! I would miss it, too. The texture of the bark in your first photo is so rich. Love these words and images.

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Thank you, Rita! I so wish I could pack it and take it with me.

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Jul 3Liked by Diana Pappas, Tom Bland

Beautiful love story to a beautiful tree! I hope it has a long life!

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Thank you so much Susanne, I hope it has a long life too and is treasured by those that come after us.

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Jul 3Liked by Diana Pappas, Tom Bland

I love this elegy to your elder companion. We have some smaller and younger fruit trees that we consider elders in our yard. Fruit trees don’t usually get to the generation spanning ages of great oaks but they still hold that longer connection to a place than we can. Beautiful words and image for a good friend.

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Davin, thank you. I have been wondering what special trees immediately come to mind to people who have read my piece so thank you for sharing. I hope your fruit tree elders continue to provide and thrive for many years to come.

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Our “Elder Apple” is likely on its last year but there is another not much younger apple tree waiting in the wings to claim the title.

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Aug 15Liked by Diana Pappas

Beautiful! I could almost feel the leaves in that second photo. I understand having grief connecting to a tree - my neighbours in my building chopped down 2 out of the 3 trees we have on our property not long after moving in... I wasn't particularly happy! They're entire worlds. I always think of them as dinosaurs, just towering above us. Definitely worth photographing and framing!

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Thanks so much for your comment, Katy, and for subscribing too! You are so right - they are indeed entire worlds, and your grief is absolutely understandable to those of us who have special trees in our lives, including the trees we’ve lost. You don’t ever get over these losses do you? And do I even need to mention the Sycamore Gap tree?

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