Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Spunky














Lou Grant: You know what, Mary? You're spunky.
Mary: Thanks.
Lou Grant: I hate spunky.

Tuesday, September 02, 2008

Big Bolt


Lightning Strike
Originally uploaded by PhoebeJ
I putted out of my driveway, and as I turned right I saw this tree. It was missing some bark although at the time I thought it was only a few feet of bark. When I came home, I explored the tree more carefully and realized that the damage ran the entire length of the tree which is 50-60 feet high.

Apparently a lightning bolt hit this tree at the top and stripped away a 6" wide piece of wood straight down to the ground. Wood pieces were all around the base of the tree and across the road. The neighbors had been away and knew nothing of what had happened. Lightning is powerful, and I'll bet this event was very loud. The kitties would have been freaked out. So would I. Now we know why "when it thunders, don't run under a tree."

I'll be interested to see whether this tree thrives during the next few years. I'm betting it will. (I think it's an aspen or at least it is aspen-like.)