saying good bye to a tree

[Jerseygirl]

I said my goodbye’s

 

A Sunday ago, I was allowed to climb Diana, a 100 plus year old stately Oak. I arrived in time to see her care giver removing another of her dieing limbs. It hurt him to do that, but his caring hard was kind to her.

 

For those of you that do not know Diana, let me explain. She and Nimrod are the founder trees for TCI in Atlanta. These trees are about the most climbed trees in the world. Each month children and their parents climb on rope and some even sit in the branches.

 

Recently, over the year or a little more both have been affected by beetles that are taking the life out of the trees. They are loosing the battle and soon will be unable to support climbers.

 

So, while in Colorado, I spoke with their owners and received permissions to visit on a normal climb day. I arrived before the 2 pm start time for the visiting climbers as I did not want to interfere with their time in Nimrod, which stands only meters away from Diana. Peter had a line in the tree so I used his line and knots. As I tied in, I talked to her and thanked her for all the fun times she gave to so many climbers over the 24 years. This was my first and last climb with her.

 

She was so gentle, so smooth in places and so forgiving. She welcomed me and I am sure felt my unsure feet on her branches. I stayed onto her one side and only moved a few feet away from the trunk.

 

Below me the visiting climbers watch the pre-climb instructions and soon were on rope and enjoying Nimrod, many unaware of why I was alone in Diana. I climbed to a great height and sat, listened and watched the area, a land trust is just feet way and the birds and sound of the community were relaxing. In the background the railway and road was evidence that I was near the city and not in the mountains where I climb, YET here was the wonderful tree.

 

So, after about an hour plus of just sitting in Diana, I knew it was time to leave. So I descended and came off rope and hugged her.

 

I now have a great memory that will be with me forever.

 

Thank you Diana and you also Nimrod.

[Mr Ed]

Nice one JG, good story. I can imagine EXACTLY what all the other Brits reading this will think

[Andy Collins]

Yeah, nice to see the sentimental side for a change tho'. We charge around day after day, felling this, pruning that with just a thought for how much we might earn by the end of the week. Good to see it from another perspective now and again.

[High Scale]

Yeah, a moment of reflection is a good thing.

[arbgarry]

great story buddy,

 

by no means am i a tree hugger but i remind every one i know trees have feelings and are living just like you and i, people look at me strangley, who cares, if it wasnt for trees we wouldnt have a job let alone oxygen, lol

[TreeSpyder]

i've found myself patting a tree's trunk; like apologizing and/or promising to make it as painless as possible. Witch is really taking Doc Shigo's invitation to touch trees a lil'far i guess..

 

Sometimes i feel so bad about it; i feel like an executioner trying to calm the 'patient'. Or like Dr. Christian (ez to remember!) Szell/Lawrence Olivier in "Marathon Man" patting Dustin Hoffman on the shoulder to be calm before Szell practiced his art... Of curse; it seems like no time to ask the tree "Is it safe?"

[HuskyDaz]

Ive spoke to a lot of customers and no-one can believe that if you have a chainsaw, you can actually care about trees. How wrong. Ive talked people out of felling and "topping" trees, loosing money on some accounts, but like it was mentioned, without trees we wouldnt be here.

[Shansen]

I don't want to get all technical, but the majority of the world's oxygen production comes from plants, alage, and plankton growing in the ocean.

[squisher]

Steve you kill joy you

[HuskyDaz]

I didnt mean we wouldnt be here, as in the human race, I meant we wouldnt be here on the internet discussing trees haha (or did I)