Trees and snakes.
For years, my favourite tree was always the white pine with its curving trunk and branches with cluster of needles held out like offerings. Then I came to walk by a particular English Oak in Portaupique. This tree holds all of its canopy on large twisted branches that head one way and then suddenly reverse or loop around. In the spring, the new leaves are an orange glow before they mature to green. It is in winter that I admire this tree the most when the canopy is not obscured by leaves.
Years ago, I learned from my neighbour, Darrell Fletcher, who died at couple of years ago at ninety, that his grandfather planted this tree from a seedling he found when he was cutting salt hay in our marsh. We still have English oaks along side the marsh but the biggest and loveliest is the one Darrell’s grandfather planted.
When we were on safari in Yala National Park, there were some huge trees similar to our English Oak. After asking a guide what they were called, he replied: “We call those trees.” I now suspect from my google searching that these trees are Ceylon Oaks or Kushan Trees.
And now for the snake. Roadside there are storm sewers covered somewhat by big cement paving stones.because there are no sidewalks, Jim and I often end up walking on these sewers. Yesterday I saw a big snake about a foot straight up from a hole in the tile. As I approached, he disappeared!
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