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It was a stately grey gum. Seventy feet tall with a wonderful spreading canopy. It stood sentinel, close to the river, a landmark. It sheltered cows and wallabies who liked the sweet grasses around its base. Dozy koalas surveyed the river flats and distant range from its swaying treetop. We watched the sunrise behind its lacy foliage. It cast a long shadow across the lawn during the day and shone silver in the moonlight. Great canoe lengths of bark peeled from its trunk which we burned on our campfire close to the tree. I’d run my hands over the smooth fresh ghost grey skin until the trunk mottled, toughened and re-grew its bark shield.
It had weathered storms, drought, floods and frost. But age had wearied its frail skeleton and termites munched into it, but their abandoned nest on a sturdy branch saw families of Eastern rosellas, kingfishers and the vile Indian Mynahs, come and go in the cosy nest inside. We had the termites treated but the diagnosis was the tree was doomed.
And then, while we were away, a storm swept in once more, bringing lightning that aimed at the heart of the old tree, piercing it from top to bottom. Doomed and now dangerous, the tree surgeon declared. We dithered. But last week the executioner arrived. He walked around the old tree, patted it, pushed against it gently with his hand. Delicately he swung through its branches, counter balancing himself with a bag of sand on a rope. And then came the awful noise – the scream of a chainsaw, rip rip ripping. Was there a cry from the old tree drowned in that noise? It was sad to see its magnificent branches fall, one by one. And when it came to its last main trunk, I couldn’t watch it felled at ground level. But the tree had one final gasp of energy and turned, despite calculations and experience, to fling itself onto the fence and gate leading to the river. It had the last laugh, but I miss it.
And speaking of laughs, don’t miss Sandy Gandhi’s “Undressed” super supper comedy show at the Byron Beach Resort April 26. Starts at 5pm, dinner at 6pm, show at 8pm. She has a great line up and should be fun. Book 66 871005.
Cheers
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