Pine Trees

PG&E came out this morning to cut a couple of trees down that were about to interfere with their power lines. They were about fifty feet from my house along the driveway that runs parallel to our property. Both trees were about 80 feet tall. Usually tree cutters bring along a wood chipper to clean up, but this time the trees were cut into ten foot stumps and left behind. I don’t know if the workers will be back to remove them, so I went out to have a look.

 

I tried counting the rings to figure out how old they were. There were so many, I lost track, so I estimated each one must have lived there for at least a hundred years — long before any houses were built next to them.

If they could talk, what kinds of stories could these lovely pine trees tell? Did their branches ever provide a home for the birds to raise their young? How many deer stopped to feed on their leaves? Now they will become muIch or firewood. There are so many pine trees around here, those two won’t be missed but I’ll know they’re gone. I will miss their essence.

In the mornings when I take my dogs for their walk, I acknowledge the trees that surround my property and say “thank you” for providing me with fresh air and afternoon shade. When I stop and close my eyes, I can hear the wind rustle their leaves. It becomes my moment of Zen.

Namaste,

ingebird