Natures Way of Healing

This photo series was taken on January 15, 2014 at 2:16 PM

 

The location was on the deck at my home in Bethesda  MD

 

The "Take It!" came from having observed this bit of the wonder found in nature for a number of years. The photo on the site was a small section of the slice of wood obtained from the cutting of a black Walnut tree in Virginia.  The tree was part of a grove of them that were cut down to accommodate  a pasture for the grazing of horses.  It was not known when the property was bought that horses are very allergic to this tree and any of the ingestion of bark, walnuts, or the wood itself can make a horse very sick.   Had this been known before the purchase the owner would probably have bought a property elsewhere that had no such trees on it.  This having been said,  the trees were with a certain sadness cut down and cut up for different purposes.  The wood is quite prized for the making of furniture and gun stocks.  A contractor was found and the trees cut up on the property, using a portable saw mill in conjunction with chain saws to bring the logs to size for the mill to cut them.  It was quite a show, watching the entire process be accomplished.  The wood has a mix of color when exposed and cut which is both interesting and attractive. 

 

The trees were cut with lumber of various sizes the objective.  Any wood from branches that were too small to make lumber out of,  were cut into small fireplace sized pieces.  The wood is apparently very hard and makes a great fire that lasts a long time.  The smallest of branches along with all the trim from the mill cuttings were put into big piles to allow them to dry suitably to burn when the conditions were right.  The burning required a permit which was dependent upon the right weather conditions to be able to use. 

 

It was after the piles were formed that I pulled out several pieces that looked interesting to me.  The one shown held the most attraction for me as it had the bark knocked off, and the growth over a branch stump exposed.  The wrinkle in the wood was a big part of the fascination for me and continues to be a source of wonder. 

 

The piece was placed on an upper shelf in a bookcase in my bedroom, thus giving me daily opportunity to appreciate this display of nature.  

 

The After Take: I found no one able to guess the full reason behind this bit of wonder.  Everyone enjoyed the rather lengthy explanation and joined me in the mystery of it all. 

 

There are many ways of drawing a summation from this, and I shall attempt to put the easiest into words.  It is a derivative from the " Needle in the Hay Stack " quote.   Sometimes we are witness to a huge process or happening and find we have an urge to if at all possible obtain a physical memento from the site.  Sometimes permission must be obtained and for others - it is a matter of what can be safely gathered.  Whatever it might be that is picked up - it can be a wonderful reminder of an experience. I am a collector of experience and find the best of them are those that can be not only enjoyed by me - but also shared with others.  It is in the story telling that anyone can become closer to another and while doing so, gather more insight into themselves.  So,  look for that proverbial needle and if possible take it with you - it can become a touchstone for life, and when shared, one for many others as well.

 

 

Wishing you all the best,

 

Bruce

 

PS:  Without much of a stretch - this has been a reminder to me - that there is a way to heal, sometimes it comes like this did - with lots of time and fresh air.