Scrappy Pine Tree
After recovering from my brain surgery to remove a brain tumor in March 2003 (see "My Miracle"), I was excited to get back to tree work.
My first job was to help a customer clean up an overgrown hedgerow on some land they had just bought. It was a mess of sprawling bushes and vines with a few trees here and there fighting to get a little sunlight and a patch of soil to call their own.
One tree in particular caught my attention and needed rescue. It was this red pine about 95% smothered with bittersweet vines. Just portions of the top and ends of the branches had any live needles that could get any direct sunlight.
As I painstakingly cut away the intertwined vines and dead limbs and cleaned up this tree, I felt a little like the brain surgeon might have who worked on me.... getting out the bad and trying not to harm the good. (I realize of course there is no comparison between the skills of tree trimming and brain surgery !)
When I was all done the tree sure did look sparse and scraggily - not nearly as good as my picture - I imagined the tree breathing a sigh of relief !
I also noted that the tree had been planted in a heavy clay soil, a problem because red pines prefer well drained light sandy soils. This greatly added to its struggle to survive. This tree was a scrappy survivor !
It reminds me of a quote by one of my favorite TV preachers, Joyce Meyer, who once said "The Devil can not defeat somebody who refuses to give up."
Also the picture of this scrappy pine represents my understanding that there is no perfect tree, but every tree is unique and beautiful in its own way. (There is of course a number of valid reasons why some trees should be removed - safety being a primary reason.)
Furthermore, it's a reminder to me that all trees have struggles (just like we do as people). Part of my job is to identify those struggles and work to alleviate stress and improve the tree's health and structure.
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