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We haven't met but we have dragons in common so clearly, she must be wonderful!
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Quote by Tiger
Danke schoen schoene Anna! Warum ist eine Frauelein, die Deutsch kann, aus dem Vereinigten Koenigreich?
Tiger, watu kutoka duniani kote kuzungumza lugha kutoka maeneo mbalimbali ..
Jambo. Natumaini kila mtu ni vizuri. Salamu kutoka kavu sana, joto na vumbi sana Kenya.
OR...
Hallo. Ek hoop almal is goed. Groete uit 'n uiters droë, warm en baie dusty Kenia. (my Afrikaans is a bit dodgy!)
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Quote by DreamcatcherQuote by gypsyQuote by Dreamcatcher
I'm torn between having a 50+ year old oak chopped down or risking another year of it in the rain and wind..
Tough choice to make, Larry. Is there any way to cut branches to make it less vulnerable, so you can keep it? If it goes down in rain and wind, would there be collateral damage, such as your house or car being crushed?
Oak trees are pretty impressive.
Sadly, it is a split trunk. Two huge trunks growing out of one. Wood boring beetles have weakened it and when it does fall it will cover the house and a good portion of the neighbors property. It's over 70 feet tall and a 50 foot dripline. There are nine squirrel nests and several more bird. Plus we have a raccoon that loves to climb it at night. So many things to consider.
A massive old Acacia Abyssinia tree grew in the garden, on the edge of a sirikwa hole (large holes made by the homesteads of the Sirikwa, an ethnic group that disappeared around the 18th century). The stories that tree could have told... Weddings, memorial services, christenings, lunch parties, and of course, the day to day activities of many children... so much had happened under that tree. Over the years, the huge branches became home to countless birds, the hammerkops had a permanent home, looking like it was built by a drunk, their droppings killing any grass that tried to grow underneath. The hornbills, parrots and love birds all had their holes, as did a colony of bees that worked themselves into a frenzy when the tree was flowering. Orchids, mosses and ferns also called the tree home. Genet cats hid in it by day and leopards visited it by night, marking their territory and leaving scars with their claws. A troop of colobus monkeys, along with the badly behaved vervets, would regularly stop by to feast on seed pods and insects.
The branches spread a good 20m out from the trunk on all sides and it could be seen from several kilometres away, lording over its surroundings. Over time, the weight of the branches had caused the trunk to start splitting, a couple of branches had had to be cut off and lighting struck it once. At some point, someone braced the trunk with three 4" wide metal bands, bolted together, like necklaces, and several of the branches supported by posts and a metal cable. As the tree came to the end of its life, there was great debate on what to do about it. Nobody wanted to cut it but, like you, there was the danger and damage it would cause, should it come down by itself. The Sirikwa hole had always acted as a bit of a catchment area during the rains, washing down all the animal and bird droppings and providing a constant source of nutrients and water for the tree to thrive on.
After a couple of drought years the tree was struggling, then the rain started, flooding the parched earth, causing many trees already weak roots to fail and for them topple as a result. The Sirikwa hole turned into a small wetland that was a wonderful playground for children, dogs and the many frogs that performed raucously every night. Alas, it was too much water for the old tree and the soil was too waterlogged, and he too, toppled over, into the hole and still lies there, his branches still home to many and a whole new playground for the two and four legged creatures that still delight in the old, dead trees continued role in the circle of life.
Dear me... what started as a sentence to commiserate about losing a wonderful old tree has turned into a short story!
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I've been listening to this over and over this morning. This song played yesterday evening as Toms casket was carried from the service celebrating his life. At 1.27, they lifted him and proceeded to his final resting place. It gave me goose bumps and I cried with joy and sorrow... joy for the wonderful memories of an exceptional life and a man who enriched the lives of those who really knew him, and sorrow for what we have all lost. He was taken too young and he still had so much to give.
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For Tom... fly high my amazing friend, though no doubt you are already making the most of your next adventure... rocking with Bowie, dressing up with Prince and sharing a smoke with Marley.
You'll take the heavens by storm and love every minute of it!
You'll take the heavens by storm and love every minute of it!
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I am... I'm not really sure what I am right now. Numb is perhaps the best way to describe it, I suppose.
On Wednesday afternoon I lost a very good lifelong friend. His untimely death has left us all in shock, and is still sinking in. It's hard to think I will never talk to him again, hear his voice, spend hours discussing anything and everything, share his enthusiasm for the weird, the wonderful and everything in between, his zest for life.
The world really has lost a very bright light, a man of integrity, and above all, a true gentleman and a beautiful soul.
On Wednesday afternoon I lost a very good lifelong friend. His untimely death has left us all in shock, and is still sinking in. It's hard to think I will never talk to him again, hear his voice, spend hours discussing anything and everything, share his enthusiasm for the weird, the wonderful and everything in between, his zest for life.
The world really has lost a very bright light, a man of integrity, and above all, a true gentleman and a beautiful soul.
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I care that due to human greed, creatures like elephants, rhinos, lions, tigers and mountain gorillas, to name just a few, could easily become extinct in my lifetime.
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Quote by snoopQuote by AriesDragonQuote by snoopQuote by AriesDragon
freezing cold!
Where you live???
Very warm
We may be on the equator, but its winter here! 8C... that's frickin freezing!
STILL FREEZING
I just converted to F. and it comes to 46F. ... So yes, I'll concede that you are on the "cool" side of things. Seriously now, I didn't realize you got that cool down on your elevation. Are you up higher in mountainous terrain??
I just checked and we are at 90F which is approx 32C. So... Come on over to the warm side🐉🐉🐉
Lol... the elevation here ranges from sea-level to over 19000ft. We are about 6500ft... and it's Winter for us!
