Tag Archives: Nature

Limited Time Information

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At certain times, we become experts about topics which might not normally be so relevant. For example, you can hear people talking about the triple axle and whether a six was truly deserved during the Winter Olympics.  Then, there was the talk about the relationship between stress and gray hair.  Was the president dying his hair? 

As you may recall, I only half-heartedly follow the weather reports.  I had heard that it was going to be cold last weekend and that there was a possibility of snow, but I did not take it too seriously. Snow in October – nah!  Anyway, Friday night as I was walking home from synagogue, my friend told me they are predicting 2-4 inches tomorrow. I was shocked, “Really?”  I figured the earlier reports were just talk – snow in October?  So, I did not believe this storm would happen until the snow was actually falling.  Hey, it was snowing in October. Even then, I figured it was just a passing fluke. Sunday would be warmer, the snow would melt, and we would all busy about on our ways.

I was wrong – very wrong.  The snow came, and even more dramatically, tree limbs came down and power was lost (we did not lose power ourselves, just a flicker or two, but people all around us were not so lucky).  It took me a little while to realize the severity of this plague. Ultimately, it made me curious: Why did this minor snow event cause so much damage – more so, in my area at least, than Hurricane Irene?  Well, I did not have to look far, or even to Google, to get my answer. My friend, who lost power, explained that he had heard the reason why so many limbs broke is because the trees still had leaves on their branches and this weight combined with the heavy snow was the reason behind the massive amount of downed tree parts. I thanked him, always happy to receive new information, and hung up quickly to conserve his cell phone battery.

Over the course of two days, 5 more people conveyed the information to me about the weighty leaves. I tried to appreciate all of them for sharing.  Ultimately, I engaged them in conversation about the weight of leaves and the damage caused. When do you think that conversation will come up again?  Maybe tomorrow, we can all talk about quick celebrity marriages and divorces…

Stir Crazy

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We had to get outside today. My family and I had spent much of the last few days indoors. Our only time outside was walking from our home to the synagogue and vice versa.  Bad weather rubbed out any opportunity to enjoy the outdoors. So, today with the weather sunny and in the 60’s, it seemed like a sign.  After all, the kids had to be a bit stir crazy – didn’t they?

My wife and I decided on hiking.  After some research, my wife found a hiking spot that also had a playground that sounded nice and was convenient.   With the plan set, I went upstairs and told the children to get ready. The television went off after only one command – a sign that they were anxious to go.  So, we were off.

After a slight mix up (the park was simply not where the Mapquest directions said it was. This was not a sign to get a GPS.  It really wasn’t our fault. Really.) locating the park, we got there.  It was not like I had pictured.  Rolling hills, leafy trees, and quiet shaded areas – no, no, and no. The only hiking area was a paved path around a lake with a fountain in the center.  Well, no need to be a spoilsport. The boys were happy to be there – or at least out of the car and that was why we came in the first place. They scampered on to the path and quickly found the playground area ¾ of the way around the circle. I found a bench, and it seemed we were on our way to a lengthy pleasant afternoon.

After taking turns pushing the boys in the swings – will they ever be content to just pump, I was anxious to do some more walking.   After some convincing, the boys acquiesced till we passed a tire swing. They pleaded, “Please push us. Come on!”  They squealed in delight as the tire rotated rapidly leaving me feeling a bit sick just watching. After fifteen minutes, the boys were finally ready to get off the tire.  However, my older boy went right to the bench and laid face down complaining that he felt sick and the younger boy drunkenly walked off unable to stay in a straight line while repeating, “My tummy hurts.” 

After one more circle around the lake, we got back in the car. A lengthy stay – not quite – as we were there for barely an hour.  It was a quiet car ride home as both boys fell asleep quickly. Maybe, I was  more stir crazy than them .

Please Stand Still

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As I lie here in my bed, I can hear the tree in my backyard swaying.  There are a number of branches which have fallen to the ground since Hurricane Irene began coming through yesterday.  As many have suffered much greater damage, it is hard for me to complain. In fact, I have no complaints but instead concern. Splitting hairs – well, maybe.

Growing up, there stood a tall tree in front of our house. I loved that tree and have many fond memories of it. I remember playing wire ball near the tree and having a pinky ball get stuck in the tree.  A half hour later, a football, tennis ball, hockey stick, and broom were also stuck in the tree as my friends and I had thrown each of them up trying to dislodge the original pinky ball.  It was the cleanest my family’s garage had been in years.

Enjoying the brilliant colors of the leaves during Fall was great. Cleaning up those leaves that the large tree produced was not so great. One year, my friends and I gathered the leaves from my family’s tree and those from the surrounding houses. No, we were not being good Samaritans. We jumped, rolled around, and dove into the massive pile of leaves that now stood squarely in front of my house.  My mother came home and had a fit, “Who is going to clean up all those leaves?”  The hours or so it took to sweep them up was worth it.

Ultimately, the tree had to come down. The roots had caused the pipes to back up and water was coming into the basement. It was a major expense which my parents could not afford. Even though I was beyond the age of the tree being a prop on my stage, I missed the shade and the landmark that it was. I missed its simple beauty.

The weather was tenuous last night, and the predictions were for strong winds.  While my wife insists that I slept soundly, I did not. I worried about the tree. This is not some man and nature, tree hugging sort of thing. Yes, I do enjoy the tree, though not its constant shedding.  I did not sleep last night for fear of the tree falling. The tree stands just a few feet from the house and directly aligns with the master bedroom. I was afraid I would wake up with the tree in my bed like the guy in The Godfather wakes up with the horse’s head in his. Yes, I do like trees, but I think these days, I prefer them on other people’s properties.