The Survivor

This old tree has been up on the landing above our house for many, many years. When we first moved here, we though it was well on it's way to dying. The top had broken off, then some branches had actually survived but signs of it being struck by lightening were in plain sight also. There was no way this tree was ever going to survive!

But since it was there, right in the middle of the clearing, I nailed some boards on it to hang my daughter's basketball hoop on.

Now here is what has happened...this gnarled old tree has grown all around the boards nailed into it 25 years ago. They now look as if they were coming out of the middle of the trunk!
Where the top broke off there is a new "lizard tail" type trunk reaching upward. And where the lightning had struck there is another tree growing out from it, also reaching skyward! This tree is now lush and green where once it was almost dead except for a few straggly rust colored branches.

Talk about survivors!