Stories Collected While Living in France

French la Vie

If I were a Tree in my Village I would be Afraid.

 

Photo property of Corey Amaro. All rights reserved.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the French village where I live there is a

river that runs through it, plus many century old Plane trees

that grow around it…

 

 

 

Plane trees in france

 

 

Tall, shady and strong.

 

 

 

Going-home

 

 

Trees that have grown alongside the memories of Annie's childhood, and my children's too.

Trees that I have gathered leaves from for Halloween and Thanksgiving decor.

Trees that keep us cool in the summer, and let the light pour in during winter.

 

 

France-Facades

 

 

Trees that house the night owl,

that have beared witness to the hidden kiss of lovers,

with initials carved in their trunks to prove it.

 

 

Pink river

 

 

Yes the river and the trees.

Symbols of running freely and being rooted at the same time.

Soaking in that which is good from both.

 

 

Green river

 

How many photos have I taken of the river and trees that surround me?

Not enough.

 

 

South-of-france-fountain

 

 

Not one season overlooks their beauty.

 

 

 

http://willows95988.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451cb9a69e201287718fdd3970c-300wi

 

 

I don't know how many trees there are in my French village.

A couple of hundred or more.

Some are over four hundred years old.

 

 

 

 

French-riviera-facade

 

 

They are called Plane trees, though nothing plain about them.

Nothing.

 

 

 

 

http://www.2020site.org/trees/images/plane-tree.jpg

 


"…Clear are the depths where its eddies play,
And dimples deepen and whirl away;
And the Plane-tree's speckled arms o'ershoot
The swifter current that mines its root."

Bryant alluded when he wrote of the Green River.

 

 

French country bastide

 

 

But if I were a tree in my village I would be afraid. I would pray with all my might, I would shake my branches wildly, and teach my leaves to scream.

Thirty six trees have been cut down recently, six in the last two weeks.

I cannot bear to take a photo of the aftermath.

Why?

The last six were cut down to widen a small section of the road… by one yard.

Crazy, stupid, reason.

In less than an hour, hundreds of years gone.

It is awful, and I am sad.

 

If I were a tree in my village I would be afraid.

 ____

 

 

Notes:


Traveling through the history of France.

 

Tree Hugger


Etsy Tree Wall Stickers


How to Hug a Tree


The Giving Tree on You Tube

 

 

Photos by Corey Amaro.

 


Comments

46 responses to “If I were a Tree in my Village I would be Afraid.”

  1. Merisi

    I empathize, with the trees, with you, with all of us who lost treasures from the past, sacrificed for the self-serving needs of a few.
    Back in my old home in DC, there was a street in one of the suburbs, called Persimmon Tree Road. Beautiful, lined by old cedar trees, interspersed among others with tall Ozark Orange bushes (I loved picking up the bright green fruits in autumn, lining the steps to the house with them). One fine day, they started cutting down the cedars, no mercy shown. A few neighbors quickly organized a protest, some chained themselves to the tree trunks. They saved what was still left by the time the tree-loving community got aware of it. The last patch of trees was still standing, the last time I drove through. I hope it will be there forever.

    Reply
  2. Merisi

    I did a Google image search. Fittingly, no image of the road itself shows up, only houses for sale and the like, many of them located where once an old farm house and its stables stood on a hill, with horses grazing on the ondulating meadows surrounding it, at the horizon the Potomac river valley. Golfing instead of farming nowadays: http://dcmdvaluxuryhomeblog.com/2010/10/24/avenel-is-always-on-the-24th-though-were-landing-the-birdie-in-at-tpc-a-little-early-this-year/

    Reply
  3. Tongue in Cheek

    Hi M
    Had I known that the trees were going to be cut down, and in the oldest tree’s case, had I been here, I would have chained myself to it! It was FOUR HUNDRED YEARS OLD!!!!
    I am glad your neighbors thought quickly and saved the trees.
    C

    Reply
  4. Carol L

    Make sure to take note and not re-elect the people responsible for this decision. Such a shame, no regard for time.

    Reply
  5. Jody

    Oh, so sad!

    Reply
  6. Stacy

    Corey, I feel your pain. It is so sad to me when people cut or tear down old things without a thought to never being able to replace them. Around here they tear down old stone homes from the 1700s & 1800s (which as you know is very old for the US)to build shopping centers or new homes or… It makes me so sad. 🙁 I hope they stop cutting down your town’s trees.

    Reply
  7. Dottie Eberhart

    So sad. I live in the southern US and Live Oak trees are one of my absolute favorite things. I love their beauty and strength. They make me feel rooted and protected.

    Reply
  8. Denise

    trees since the begining of time have taken abbuse. a road,highway,etc. are almost always deprives us of what we have known for years. i live in a state and town that is farmingfactories,logging. so, we see this each winter, the removable of trees. the trees have given us so much even poetry. they are ever so majestic. by our house there is a teeny grove of trees and there is just enough to give us protection in winter winds. each winter we mention this. so here’s hopping that the trees have been with us since the beginning and truly hopes they gone on forever. Bestest,Denise

    Reply
  9. g

    corey this post has me nodding in total agreement with you and all the other commenters thus far! this is the first time i have ever heard it expressed to the degree i feel about the trees. in my neighbor,- we live in philadelphia a section called northeast right on the suburban border-and i have fought to keep the trees on my property at GREAT expense(we live in row homes and people say the leaves and nosies clogg the rain spouts etc.so every year 700 dollars to have it trimmed below roof line and the debris carted through the house otherwise it would have to go through the cement gardens of the neighbors. one neighbor wants all the trees cut so he doesn’t have to rake etc. i seriously could cry each time i see a fallen tree-even if if is from rain-wind- snow. They are alive and serve a purpose-i will never understand it!!thanks for letting me vent i sometimes felt like i was the only one who felt so deeply about such matters!!

    Reply
  10. Alan

    My god, it sounds like you live in suburban United States where it seems trees are the enemy. Here in South Florida where I live, I have planted two live oaks, and a cypress tree on my tiny property. My fear is that when I’m gone from my life, the trees will also be gone.

    Reply
  11. Jill Flory

    So sad. It’s bad enough when they cut down trees here – where they are practically new trees! But to cut down trees that are so old and beautiful? Sacrilege.

    Reply
  12. Cathy J.

    Lovely pictures, so sad about your trees. I’m a tree lover too!

    Reply
  13. Susan young

    Oh Corey. Que c’est affreux . J’en suis triste:(

    Reply
  14. elle

    I, too, am a great lover of trees. I live in a hurricane prone area of south Louisiana. Our last “big one” went through about 5 years ago. As I evacuated with my family and pets, I fretted the entire time about my huge beautiful oaks—When we returned, my oaks were the ONLY 2 still standing in our entire neighborhood. Although I rejoiced about mine, I grieved over the loss of the others.

    Reply
  15. Kathie B

    Corey, just think of some of the ancient coast redwood trees you’ve seen between Willows and Westport.
    I miss the plane trees of the Bay Area, that I grew up with; they don’t grow in our climate here in the Northeast US. At least I get to see them when I visit California, as well as in the Azores (where the climate’s not too dissimilar).

    Reply
  16. Laurie SF

    In San Francisco’s Presidio National Park, an entire hillside of Monterey Pine has been removed. The reasoning? ‘They are not a native tree.’ The devastation begins at Baker Beach and ends at the Golden Gate Bridge (every tree gone!) What’s left is a moonscape dotted with stumps that will remain to prevent erosion.
    My running trail once zig zagged, high, along those cliffs, weaving in and out with peek-a-boo views of the Pacific. On windy days, the tree limbs creaking..’hurry along.’ Wet, dewy, drops, on fog-horn days. Red tail hawks, blue jays and robins.
    All gone.
    Very saddening to hear of your village trees : (

    Reply
  17. kim

    I feel the same way, Corey. I’m always so sad to see an old tree (or any tree) die.

    Reply
  18. Joan Thodas

    This is one of your most important posts yet. Remembering your village I was struck by how they built roads AROUND the trees. Alas, it is up to those in power and paying attention to what they are up to. Corey, how about you or Yann run for local office?

    Reply
  19. Joan Thodas

    and another thing…to Laurie, that is crazy news about the Presidio. Talk about cutting off your nose to spite your face. very disheartening.

    Reply
  20. Rhonda

    That is awful, I would cry if I saw it. I have loved trees forever, they have their own stories to tell.
    French trees are so beautiful, you’ve captured them very well.

    Reply
  21. Kit

    Beautiful pictures of your village plane trees. I do hope the local authorities see sense and stop cutting them down. Rather shave a meter off the vehicles using the road to make passing easier than cut down such venerable trees!

    Reply
  22. momof5

    This is such a lovely post. Maybe you can submit it to your local newspaper and the powers that be will see the light. When we were in Thailand recently I noticed lovely ancient trees by some of the temples. It appeared that offerings were being left at these trees. I was told by a monk that as long as the trees are cared for it brings good fortune to the temples/monastaries and those that live in their presence. I feel that way about a very old Japanese maple tree in my front yard that is hanging on by a thread after being partially destroyed by hurricane Irene last year.

    Reply
  23. Linda P.

    What gorgeous photos: what sad news. Lost trees can change a community. Last September, our small community in Central Texas lost 1,645 homes due to a wilfire. All but 50-100 acres of a 5,926-acre park among the Lost Pines state forest was severely damaged due to the wildfire. Miles and miles of state highways wind between the blackened and destroyed trees.

    Reply
  24. g

    this just made my stomach turn-UNBELIEVEABLE!!

    Reply
  25. Kathie B

    OTOH, I would be thrilled if California eradicated every last eucalyptus!!!
    They were introduced from Australia by a cabal including the devious poet Joaquin Miller as part of a timber-growing scheme — except the lumber wasn’t usable for construction, and the oily leaves are an extreme fire hazard in an environment that’s typically rainless for months on end in the summer (including high winds in the autumn; remember September 1923, and October 1991 in the Berkeley Hills?). Plus, eucalypti smell like cat-pee :-(((

    Reply
  26. carol

    I love the trees. They are so ancient and wise. They have seen so much. This makes me sad. I hope the people who live in your town can do something about it. Here is an article about a tree that was 3500 years old. It caught fire and burned to the ground recently. I was saddened to think of it.
    http://southernhistory.blogspot.com/2012/01/death-of-senator-floridas-largest-tree.html

    Reply
  27. Marilyn

    I was afraid that you were going to say what you did. I would be quivering with fright for sure. Oh please hug those trees for me.

    Reply
  28. deborah

    I am sad about your trees..that seems so too bad and they look so beautiful!

    Reply
  29. susanna

    Oh that is sad! I’m not sure what the laws are where you live but here, I think the townships or the Dept of Transportation have to give written notice to nearby residents if any roadwork is to take place. I wonder if you and your neighbors could petition what is happening to the trees?

    Reply
  30. Irina

    This makes me mad! Why a few stupid people have the rights to decide? A matter like this should be discussed with the people from the village first. I think this post should be sent to the local newspaper. It might help to prevent more tree cutting. I’m sure most of the local people if not all will support you.

    Reply
  31. Joni

    What ARE those gorgeous fuschia-lavender blooms??? :}

    Reply
  32. Cindy

    I haven’t visited you for a while and I just read all your posts on village life….oh, it really makes me miss France and all the things that I love about it. Somehow France gets into your blood. I miss all the lovely plane trees too, but at least Wyoming has evergreens to make up for it.
    Thanks for your blog.
    Cindy from Marseille and Wyoming

    Reply
  33. Penny

    Ah, this makes me weep. Such ancient trees sacrificed for such a little real estate. I would want to at least plant a tree for each one taken and make some sort of monument out of the wood, though it would be stained with tears.

    Reply
  34. LauraInSeattle

    Corey,
    Is this part of the national decision regarding the sick plane trees? I know the Canal du Midi will lose most of them over the next 10 years due to a fungus.
    This is devastating news all over France. I’m sorry it’s happening in your village. And the 6 for road widening? RiDICulous!

    Reply
  35. Brenda, Walker, LA

    Loved the Oak , My cousins and I played in that massive spreading oak I fell from on my paternal grandfathers land…
    http://blog.kindredheartsantiques.com/?p=27

    Reply
  36. cynthia wolff

    People in my neighborhood managed to save a street full of trees by bitchin and moaning to the local goverment. You have to take a stand and not let it happen. Heck I was ready to chain myself to a tree at that time…we changed things…let your voice be heard!

    Reply
  37. TEXAS FRANCOPHILE

    Oh I hate to hear that…the pic with the blue
    Car traveling down the road reminds me of the
    Road out of Saint Remy. The plane trees in that
    Village were phenomenal!

    Reply
  38. Debbie

    I understand exactly how you feel about those trees! That is so sad! I thought the French valued their trees – seems quite unusual! There is also a nasty disease which is affecting alot of these Plane trees along the Canal du Midi in particular where they are starting to remove some of them. Apparently it was a disease which first appeared during WWII I believe. I cannot imagine and do not wish to imagine the Canal du Midi without its plane trees.

    Reply
  39. julieannevins@googlemail.com

    I love the plane trees. To me very symbolic of your region. Those drives down plane tree lined roads make my heart sing, Jx

    Reply
  40. mary

    Progress…can be a good thing or bad. I think the developers need to work with saving the trees
    You can’t stop progress but you can make it workable with nature sometimes.
    I hope for the trees that everyone takes a stand and saves some of them….they are part of our history and they give us so much during their time with us:) I think we owe it to them
    Go hug a tree Corey and maybe it will give you the answers…xox

    Reply
  41. jend’isère

    Trees are the royalty of plant kingdom. As all living beings, illnesses can break them. To help me mourn the ginko which was destroyed outside my window, I pick up a fallen leaf from another and place it in my wallet.

    Reply
  42. Monica

    Not to mention that when somebody’s car hits a tree the cry goes up to cut down the tree. How back a–ward can you get?

    Reply
  43. Kiki

    We had to get rid of three near-dead beeches when we bought our house. It was a sad moment… When trees are ill, they must be removed or they make others ill.
    When streets are being enlarged, it’s a different matter. My heart went out to you because I know exactly how it feels. After years of chopping down trees here and there, most places, including the one I live in now, have tree conservation orders working FOR the trees…. Do take some memory leaves if you still can. The noise of the chain saws will get less with the time going by but it’s terrible anyway.

    Reply
  44. Shelley Noble

    Such exquisite sensitivity on your part.

    Reply
  45. Peggy

    So sad to see these beautiful trees struck down. I’ve always loved driving down those long tree-lined roads of Provence. As a Northern Californian, you probably are aware that some of the Northwestern tribes consider trees ‘sentient beings’. Just think what these silent witnesses have seen over their long years.

    Reply
  46. Ruth

    I once left home in tears when my father was trimming the trees. It broke my hear. Wept reading and then watching The Lorax. Now I am steward to many old and lovely trees. I care for them lovingly and cannot imagine cutting one down. Sad for your town to lose so much

    Reply

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