Thoughts

Here’s another story about a tree. Recently someone I know in the neighborhood, Donald, sold the house that he grew up in. This was a house in the family for almost 5 decades. The first time I met him while I was taking a walk, he took me to his back yard. When I saw the persimmon tree with so many fruits hanging from its branches, I exclaimed, “Wow, the persimmons” as it reminded me of the one I had in my childhood home. He texted me last week and told me to come by because he saved some persimmons for me from the tree in his backyard.

To be more accurate, it was taken down by the forest service because it was dying for some time. This is the Ponderosa Pine that some of us friends in the mountains estimate to be somewhere between 200 to 300 years old. It was probably 40~50 feet tall. More than 6-foot in diameter at the bottom. I’ve been visiting this tree as long as we’ve had our mountain house for the last 14 years. I’d often talk to it and ask for help. It was just comforting to look up at this tree and know it’s been standing there way, way, way before this area was developed into a little mountain community for us humans. It’s awe-inspiring to know it must have seen all the changes in climate, vegetations around as well.

We’ve had quite a weather for the last week or so. While I’m grateful for the rain and snow that provides the much needed water for our thirsty earth, I’m also aware of the perils that this weather, not just around us, but all over the country and the world, brings.