Wednesday, April 21, 2010

The Old Man - Still Standing!



I ventured down to the valley to see if this magnificent sycamore was still standing. I was worried on three fronts. 1, as you can see, he's hanging on precariously by, it looks like, just about 1/4 of his roots; 2, there was a major rain storm and the valley flooded this spring. If you look at how the waters eroded the earth just below this old tree, you'd find it impossible to believe Old Man survived the onslaught; and sadly, 3, there is a major highway being built about 50 feet from where he stands. Though his surroundings have basically been destroyed, he is still standing. (The photo in my header is of the same tree that was taken the summer of '07.)


~~~

xoabb

expect anything!

~

Photo: Taken 4/20/10 of the old sycamore tree (The Old Man) that is along the banks of the South Fork of the Grindstone Creek in the valley below my parents home in Missouri. The photo in my header is of the same tree but taken in the summer of '07.

6 comments:

  1. That is so sad! I just hate to see that happen to so many beautiful trees! Great photo! Hope you're having a good day.

    Sylvia

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  2. Such an tribute to perseverance ..and an awesome photo once again

    WV ounabb .. I think this means that Old Man ouns abb ... which would be you!

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  3. Beautiful Grandfather of the land. I hope he'll continue standing though that erosion isn't looking too promising. There have been several floods and much erosion in Frank's neck of the woods, and many younger trees have been lost and/or are about to fall.. some into the creek as the banks crack and crumble. I have a photo of an apple tree which I took just last week. Compared to the photo taken a few months earlier in full fruit-bearing stage, it's now lying horizontally, yet still sprouting spring leaves. These beauties are very inspiring.

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  4. A grand old tree. The sycamore is one of my favorites, if not my favorite. I know it's a 'messy' tree but I love the bark, especially in the wintertime.

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  5. I'd love to know how old he is...lately I have really started to love sycamore trees. Just something about them.

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Thank you for taking the time to leave a thought. It's appreciated! xoabb