I Will Survive

Do you see that old birch right there in the right foreground? Well, let me tell you I feel akin to that aging tree. It has seen better days, but it's still hangin' in there, and ready for another year as spring readies itself in the manifestation of new buds that will transform into leaves once again. It may be aging, worn, and bent; it may not even survive too much longer, but while it's around there is yet some grace left in its sagging branches. Its bark may be curling as it withers, but it hasn't given up as of yet. Every year as spring rolls around it takes another gasp, and you can almost hear the wind in its branches singing "I will survive."

 On April 12, 2013 I awoke to the pitter-patter of falling raindrops.  Normally this is a fine way to awaken in the spring, but on this occasion the temperature was below freezing.  You guessed it, the rain was freezing to whatever it fell upon.  This first photo is of our budding lilac in front of a short needle pine.

The second photo is of an Mackintosh Apple tree in my side yard backed up by the same evergreen.

This third photo is obviously my front deck bird feeder.  The ice gives it a Chinese pagoda look to me.

The next photo is a general photo of a part of my eight acres behind my old country home.  You can note that the ice has built up on all of the trees in the area.

This photo shows the resiliency of a white birch tree.  The ice can weight it down, but it will bend until its top touches the ground before it snaps.  When the ice melts it returns to its original shape none the worse for wear.  In the meantime it makes for some interesting patterns.

This larger birch tips almost unbelievably with the weight of the accumulated ice, but it remains in the upright position.  This one probably will not return to its former upright status.

Here is a shot of a long-needle pine.  It looks rather bedraggled with its ice coated long needles bearing a heavy load.  The pines, unlike the birches, will snap long before they will bend to the ground.  This one was nearing its weight bearing capacity, but luckily it held until it thawed.