Rebecca and I were writing at our computers when we heard the gunshot in our woods. We looked over at each other, and suddenly another shot sounded. We stood up, thinking we were going to have to go out and confront some hunters, when about fifty shots went off all at once. It sounded like someone was having a fireworks extravaganza down in Sweetwater Vale.

“It's a tree,” Rebecca said.

There are some old oaks down in Sweetwater – one large enough that two people can't wrap their arms around it and touch. It could only have been one of these oaks that could make a sound like that. A few minutes later we were standing in front of a scene of destruction.

It wasn't exactly that a tree had fallen – indeed, the oak still lives. But nearly half of its bulk had been slowly splitting away over the years, and today was the day when it fell. Beneath it, smaller trees were splintered or bent, and as we stood there we could hear sharp cracks and deep moans as the wood adjusted to the weight it was now supporting. These sounds went on into the night.

Standing there, we reflected upon the power of change that was affected in the few brief seconds of the oak-limb's fall. Trees that had been growing strong and straight for years were now killed or permanently bent, and our beloved oak had changed its appearance forever.

             A perfect home for Kenton-creatures?

On the other hand, there was now a wide-open space in the green canopy above, letting sunlight down into the forest. A small maple that had been struggling to get enough sun grew right in the light's path, with a clear opening for it to reach toward the sky.

We now have a new jungle-gym to play on, and we'll get to watch what happens when the shade-loving forest plants encounter bright sunlight. There's a huge wooden arch over our favorite trail to our woods-camp, and we're excited to see what this new arch will look like when it's covered with snow.

It was sad to see one of our favorite trees suffer such destruction, but it's created some amazing new changes in Sweetwater Vale, and that's one of the beauties of nature – life and death intertwine to create an intricate and eternal dance.
 

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