I do have friends who are NOT trees, and I measure them with hugs. I have a special tape, though, that I wrap around my TREE FRIENDS each fall.
Please come meet my tape-measured friends.
Mrs. Cherry—tall and straight
Miss Maple and her bit of “yarn.”
Hemlock Holmes
- Miss Maple—a sweet old lady.
- Hemlock Holmes—a sturdy guy—there when you need him.
- Cherry BB—straight and true and beautiful!
- Parker Pyne—kin to Miss Maple and both propagated by Agatha Christie.
- Arthur Ash—He’s dead now—or mostly so. Actually, Tennis Ashe and Tree Ash both “died” in 1993, but Friend Ash persevered. See those few leaves? Must be a lesson there somewhere.
Arthur Ash’s leaves are numbered
Pyne hugger–then
Pyne hugger now
I started measuring my friends in 1964. The Pyne girth measured 27 inches then; now is up to 83½. Diameter growth went from 9 to 28 inch.
Trees grow. Or they die—either a natural death (see Arthur) or “harvesting,” as in logging. Yes, I miss my old friends, but checks in the mail sort of make up for their loss.
Going back to the beginning, we bought 280 acres of Vermont woodland in 1963. Early on, we worked
The best crop of all–grandchildren who love you
hard at making space for nice, straight trees to grow tall and fat. We also pruned branches from young pines to grow knot-free lumber. Our kids also grew in the process, turning into two strong oaks and a beautiful birch tree. We read the Bible and Paul Bunyan around the campfire, fought mice, made friends with milk snakes (they eat mice), watched bats and deer and weasels and skunks and porcupines, processed hundreds of tons of firewood, and made maple syrup.
Tree farmers do keep strange company, but I’m tight with the Creator of trees, who planted the sky with stars and galaxies, and who keeps company with angels, archangels, cherubim and seraphim. He also peopled our little Earth with owls, ravens, moose, and bobcats, and adorned the landscape with daisies, asters, and orchids.
And friends—of all kinds. I live in the company of trees and believers, my eyes fixed on that glorious Kingdom above.
I lift my eyes; the cloud grows thin;
I see the blue above it;
And day by day this pathway smooths,
Since first I learned to love it,
The peace of Christ makes fresh my heart,
A fountain ever springing;
All things are mine since I am his—
How can I keep from singing?
Please join me in singing praise to the Maker of Trees. And talk to me—either below or via egus@me.com
As I finished this blog, my sister Arline sent a post on trees of interest. You might enjoy looking at them. https://www.boredpanda.com/a-place-of-enchantment/
Keep in mind that the mass of a tree is almost entirely carbon atoms stripped from the CO2 molecule in the atmosphere. There is a serious dearth of CO2 today but fortunately the burning of fossil fuels is replenishing what was originally in the atmosphere to begin with. The loony left calls it “carbon pollution” and that’s the ignorance that they’re teaching in schools now thanks in part to Al Gore’s propaganda films and Bill Nye’s faux science sermonizing.
You’re right, Dick. Trees are indeed our FRIENDS in a consequential way!
Love this post, Eleanor! Totally adorable.
Thanks so much, Carole! It was fun to work on. So many more “friends” I could’ve written about! : )
You have reminded me of one of my favorite poems. “Trees” by Joyce Kilmer.
Didn’t we all memorize that, or at least sing it? I can still hear it in my head. Thanks, Dick!
I haven’t met your particular friends but I do love them knowing they are your friends. I have made a few of them myself through the years.
We are surrounded by trees up here in Alton. We appreciate and give thanks each day for the beauty and peace that God lets us (and all the critters) enjoy.
Yes! You do have your share of trees in Maine! I’m glad we can share our enjoyment of them. : )
Ellie, A wonderfully written story. I love walking in the woods. The trees are my friends too. That is where the Lord and I share special worship together. The trees change color for me, sleep in the winter and awake in the Springs with buds of new life. We have new life in our Lord. I go through seasons of change to.
Thanks so much, Deb! I’m so glad I grew up in the country and not a city. I wouldn’t know what to do without trees! 🙂
I would bet that few high school graduates today ever read his wondrously beautiful poem or ever heard of Joyce Kilmer. I believe he was killed in World War I.