country n news-free the tree

COUNTRY N NEWS-FREE THE TREE

ok
i will admit
i am a tree hugger

2 or 3 years ago i was asked to look at several lots
that the habitat for humanity had bought
to identify any trees that should be saved
and
plants

so as i drove up to the almost city block
it was all growed up

you could tell where the old fence line was
since there was a line of hackberries around the property
like a fence
growing up under the trees were all kind of brush
and vines

many of the vines were those green ones with
thorns that to me look like a rose bush thorns
you walk up against them
they grab you real good

they also grow up and up and up into all the
trees along the old fence line
all intermingled with old pasture fencing
barb wire
old gates
old chicken coop wire
yes a few snakes
none of which i would let anyone kill
i just moved them to the abandoned old house next door
i know i know
they just slither back over
but
those working that day sure were happy

so as i walked the property
i identified several trees

an old pecan tree
deemed by the arborist to be worth about $8-10 thousand
it was saved and old dead limbs were trimmed
adding value and beauty to the lot

several big ole vitex trees
these were all rotted inside
full of insects
in the way of the house
down they came

a small cedar elm which i marked and tagged
later to be the main tree for the new owner of that lot

after it was cleared of all its vines and surrounding
competing brush
it just took off and will now be a show tree for the owners
new home

then in the middle of the property
there in the middle of a thick thick thicket
lots of hackberries
was i think
this big ole live oak

when i saw it
i hugged it
couldnt even get my arms a fourth of the way around it
my goal
save this tree
for future generations
it was already several generations old

here is the tree which you really cant see well
after some clearing

here is the tree after a group from fort worth worked
clearing the thicket on a hotter than heck summer day

i counted about 4-5 large youth groups that came
and cleared out this thicket

at one point we had several rolls of vines
that looked like those west texas tumbleweeds
except
that they were taller than the kids that pulled them from the trees

so
after finally getting all the stuff cleared from around the tree
i got an arborist to come assess the tree
it was found to be a healthy tree
that has years and years and years of life left
its an ancient oak
protected by all kind of laws
from being removed

value to the property
$12,000+
but
really
the value is priceless

here is the tree recently
when i cut down 7 or 8 hackberries from underneath
and
around the trees

as i looked up at that tree
i thought back to a trip to california
where we took this picture below

this ancient cypress growing on rocks
overlooking the monterey peninsula ocean


i think our ancient live oak is just as pretty
dont you

free at last free at last

now
you can just see
if you stand back
look real close
listen real close

that tree
that live oak
it now takes deep deep breaths

all worth it i say

the organicgreen doctor