TheBanyanTree: New Constellation

[jodeneperrin at comcast.net]

The line about the red oak dying of a broken heart touched mine. A story that 
completely involved the reader (me) as the fire involved the tree - we need a follow up, Dale! Great story! 


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Dale M. Parish" <parishdm at att.net> 
To: "Banyan Tree own *original* writings." <thebanyantree at lists.remsset.com> 
Sent: Sunday, June 20, 2010 8:29:44 PM GMT -08:00 US/Canada Pacific 
Subject: TheBanyanTree: New Constellation 

I had been burning timber downed from Hurricane Rita all day with the 
dozer, and at sundown, I came in burnt out-- crawled through the 
shower and laid drying on the bed when Cindy asked me if I wanted to 
go into Vidor to get supper. I really didn't want to, but know we're 
out of bread and eggs, and had thought about tuna salad sandwiches for 
lunch tomorrow, so conceeded. I got dressed and we walked out to get 
in Snowball, the hybred, when she exclaimed, "That tree's on fire." 

My first conception was that all the trees I've been burning all day 
should be on fire, but then I looked up where she was looking, and saw 
a new constellation in the east. Bright, just before it errupted in a 
shower of sparks from 20 meters or more high. The sparks showered 
down and I knew which tree it was. I put Snowball back in Park, and 
walked out around the corn patch and into where the woods used to be. 
We'd decided to clear out the woods between the house and the eastern 
fence, and I've been trying to leave the best Rita survivors, but most 
of the big trees blew down, and the little ones that are left are all 
small. There was an island of trees that I'd left because she's 
partial to Southern Magnolias and there were two magnolias flanked by 
one big dead tree that died after Rida-- I think from a broken heart. 
It was a red oak, I think, but was large enough and hasn't been dead 
long enough that it hadn't shed its larger branches, and towered over 
the little trees in the understory that had been left. And it was 
hollow. 

This afternoon, the wind had picked up, and some of the sparks rising 
from the southern fire had blown into this little island and caught it 
on fire. I circledd it with the dozer, and decided there wasn't any 
danger of it going anywhere and let it burn. But the fire had gotten 
into the hollow trunk-- about 80cm in diameter-- and gone on to the 
top of the tree, where the branches and main trunk were apparently 
more rotten. I stood watching in the quarter moon and could make out 
the outline of the tree, but then the internal fire caught some air 
and sparks blew out a half-dozen holes in the larger branches-- a 
pretty sight-- better than Fourth Of July fireworks-- except that I 
didn't think we should leave with this potential fire problem. Cindy 
volunteered to go into town and leave me with the fire watch. While 
she was gone, I ran three hoses out to the base of the tree -"just in 
case" and pulled up a garden bench to watch, and it was a pretty 
sight. After a while, the out-side of two large branches caught fire 
on the outside-- before it had been only sparks and coals visible, but 
now there were two branches -- one on each side of the top branch 
fork, engulfed. I wondered what the neighbors were thinking-- I'm 
sure someone had to notice- it's probably visible from the freeway a 
kilometer south of here. 

Cindy returned with groceries and we ate-- last time I checked, the 
whole tree's still standing, although I'm expecting the major 
branches, if not the trunk to fall tonight. Guess I'll be getting up 
to check it until it does. So much for sleeping thru. 

Hugs, 
Dale 
-- 
Dale M. Parish 
628 Parish Rd 
Orange TX 77632