WHENEVER I SEE a lone tree in a field, I am grateful.
Grateful to the farmer who chose to leave it there rather than cut it down for a few more crop rows.
I am grateful for the farmer who sees beyond his pocketbook and respects the value of a tree.
Thoughts?
© Copyright 2016 Audrey Kletscher Helbling
Tree photographed on October 7, 2016, western Waseca County, Minnesota
Minnesota Prairie Roots 
Since you live in the land of no basically no trees I can really identify with this picture. I love trees and the beauty of a lone tree in a field like this makes me smile from ear to ear.
And southeastern Minnesota, where I live now, has way more trees than my native prairie.
Trees provide so much to so many – environment, humans, birdlife/wildlife, etc. Great Capture – love it 🙂 Happy Day – Enjoy!
You are so right. Trees are many things.
My first thought was of my dad who was a small farmer back in the day – no cab on the tractor, just an umbrella. When we brought lunch to him we would often walk to the shade of a tree or two, allowed to grow along a fence line. I’m sure the shade felt mighty good after hours of the sun beating down on him and the wind plastering dirt and debris at him. I love that we have the woodlands here all the way to the river and beyond. It’s simply amazing how much wildlife is supported with one single tree!
Your childhood experiences so mimic mine. I can picture myself walking to the field with lunch, my dad waiting there on his tractor with the umbrella. Except we had no trees in which to seek shade. None, even along the fence line.
Thanks for sharing your memories, for taking me back to the farm this morning.
Reminds me a a lone, gnarled oak tree on a bare pasture hilltop, struck innumerable times by lighting, still there to this day. As a youth, I walked by it many a time getting the cows. Often one or two hawks lazily circled somewhere overhead, that tree has always been a favorite.
Kevin, thanks for sharing that specific memory. It’s easy to visualize in my mind.
I love trees, I love photos of trees (including yours) and I have been percolating in my mind a blog post about trees myself.
There is a Mary Oliver poem called “Foolishness, No Its’ Not” that I wanted to post but I didn’t get permission. ;-(
Although I have found it on other blogs. It’s a great poem.
I look forward to reading your tree post. You could always link to the poem.
A wonderful picture of serenity! I would enjoy laying in the shade of that tree and letting my mind wander wherever it wished to go………………..
That would be wonderful. I remember lying in the grass of our farmyard, watching the clouds, my imagination soaring. Those were the carefree days.
I sent a comment, but it has disappeared.
Hmmm, try again, because this one’s here. The technological part of this blogging stumps me. Why do such things happen?
I sent another…still no show.
I’m sorry. Could you resend? It’s possible your comment was caught in my filter. I don’t always check those closely and often mass delete. But I will examine closely to see if your resend comes into that box.
My Dad and My Grandpa had adjoining farms. The fields that we called “the flat” had a tree in the middle of it, marking the boundary of the properties (and maybe it was the section marker…though I can’t remember for sure.) Since the fields were mostly farmed together, it just looked like a lonely tree out in the middle. The land was along MN Hwy 3 in Rice County, near Dundas. When the tree died, a post was put in as the marker. The land now is owned by the Rice County Steam Engine Association, which holds an exhibition there each year. When I drive past on the highway, I feel both pride and sadness.
Yeah, your comment made it.
Yes, trees often marked fencelines. So that’s your home property. I’ve been to the Steam and Gas Engine Show many times. Have you been?
I am ashamed to say I have not! I live in St Paul…and don’t drive, so my brother is my chauffeur. And neither of us is much good at any kind of walking. I loved going to the Thresher,en’s Reunion each year in West Concord, though!
The Threshers Reunion sounds like a good time.
I’m not sure if the West Concord one still exists. I remember it from when I was a kid. I kind of thought the Rice County one took it over, but I don’t have any facts to back that up.
At least you have those childhood memories.
There is this awesome book I reviewed on the ‘Hidden Life of Trees’ by a German Forester, which confirms everything tree lovers have always known: they’re smart, awesome, alive and behave far more human than we think. Go check it out. It is so worth reading. (https://jolenesummer.com/2017/01/10/book-review-the-hidden-life-of-trees/)
I just checked out your review. This definitely sounds like an interesting book.
Thank you Audrey. Yes, it’s so special and entertaining to read about trees as if they’re ‘humans’. I recommend it 😀
I love nothing more then to walk under th ebalnket of trees in a forest
A walk in the forest sounds perfect. I googled “ebalnket.” Is that misspelled or a word?
Blanket a covering offering security/safeness
Ah, it was a typo. Got it. Thanks.
Some stock is put in afterwards, and they need the tree to sleep under at night.
Often that was/is a reason for leaving a solo tree. No stock here, though, as far as I could determine. Fields surround this tree.
The lone tree makes me think of Laura Ingalls Wilder
I can definitely see the connection between the two, too.