A cold breeze disturbs the sleeping reeds and unkept weeds near old route 19. This old snag has drawn my attention ever since I was a child. In fact I think it’s been standing there dead for most of my life. But at one time it must have been the favorite haunt of adventurous kids for decades. The unusually large lower branches are the size of full grown trees. The way they form a latter to the crown denotes a tree that loves to host climbers. Of course today the wood is unstable and it shouldn’t be risked but not too long ago that tree would have drawn every kid in the area. I have no idea what kind of tree it is but it had to be virgin timber. It’s hard to tell from the distant perspective but the tree is not just tall but thick. I imagine that the local hawks frequently roost in what’s left of it as they keep their sharp eyes out for the stray snake that lives in the marsh across the road. Even in death this tree serves its purpose as part of the forest.
Perhaps many years ago when the nation was young this old tree saw the meeting of natives and settlers. This old tree could have been a marker for a trading spot. The surrounding marsh would have been rich in furs and such. I’ve been told that not far from this spot there have been Paleolithic artifacts found. Such a find means that this place has been productive for a long time. So the descendants of those people would have also exploited the same resources.
Some years later the tree would have witnessed the land after the Civil War as a nation rebuilds itself.
It would have seen the birth of the industrial age with it’s blessings and challenges.
Sons may have spent time beneath it’s branches when they came home from 2 world wars and the Asian conflicts that arose afterwards.
Now in the modern eara of the 21st century the old tree no longer grows but instead stands as a natural monument to the lives of the people. Their voices are embedded into the very wood as an echo of those who brought us this far. They tell us that the only consistency in our lives is change. Be at peace they say. We come from strong peoples and they have faith in our ability to do good when bad things happen.
Good night friends and be blessed throughout your days.
Announcement:
I am adding additional social media to my network. Eventually, I’ll be leaving Facebook behind for a multitude of reasons. Even though the Lloyd’s Lens Photography page is strictly non-political I have been restricted from interacting with followers with no explanation for why. But it’s not just that. For years now Facebook has throttled content providers in general. They encourage us to grow our audience and then want to sell us back the access to them. In addition, they collect and sell the data from our interaction. So Facebook has become an entanglement of thorns. In response I have created the Lloyd’s Lens Photography Discussion Group on MeWe. We can still interact directly on the blog but starting today I’ll be looking for more platforms that respect the privacy of my followers and don’t limit who gets to see the post.
I want you to join my group on MeWe: https://mewe.com/join/lloydslensphotographydiscussiongroup
Hey Friends! Just a quick reminder that Lloyds Lens Photography is available for portraits!
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