Friday, October 21, 2011

the world didn't end

Today the world was supposed to end (after it failed to do so May 21st. Remember that one?)
It just crashed a little.
The day started out okay. I read about a ceremony to honour a tree and I thought I would head on over and maybe get a good post out of it to share with you all.

The tree is 300 years old, which is impressive enough by itself. It sits on the edge of a short road and at one time was a boundary marker between the villages of Burlington and Aldershot. This is a majestic white oak that stands about 30 metres (98') high and has a 50 cm (19") girth. And now it has a plaque honouring it as possibly the oldest and largest white oak in the country.
The ceremony was fine, though it was a small crowd who gathered because, well, it was at 2pm and wasn't announced to the public except for an article in this morning's paper. And most people probably aren't all that interested in a ceremony about a plaque for a tree. There would have been a far larger crowd had anyone suggested chopping it down, I'm sure. But the Mayor was there to give a speech, also the local alderman and the town's arborist (all, incidentally named Rick - much joking over that ensued) They were flanked by speeches from two Janes - one from the historical society and the other the new MP at her first official public event. There was apple cider and delicious oak leaf shaped cookies afterwards.







Some people went to extremes to get a good shot.













Some people decided to change lenses.
And dropped the newest one.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I am going off to have a little cry.

17 comments:

  1. Oh dear, how awful to have dropped the lens. I hope you have a spare or several.
    I am rather bemused as to what an oak shaped cookie looks like.
    Trees should definitely be honoured.

    ReplyDelete
  2. oops, should have been oak leaf shaped cookie!

    and I do have another lens, but it is a wider angle than the one that is now broken.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Oh crap, that's gotta be horrible. Here's hoping you can find a not too expensive replacement.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I guess I won't be giving up my nighttime job anytime soon ;/

    ReplyDelete
  5. That is one beautiful tree! But I am so sorry about your lens. Can you replace it on insurance?

    ReplyDelete
  6. The way I am with cameras, I probably should get insurance. except this was totally my fault, and likely obviously broken because of a fall on asphalt.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I had no idea that the world was supposed to end yesterday. Silly me.

    Sorry about your lens . . . that hadda hurt!

    ReplyDelete
  8. yeah, it seems to have been a little quieter this time around.

    but I have been getting lots of visits from people searching for "the end of the world" so, apologies to those who may have been disappointed to land on my blog!

    I'd only had the lens for 2 months. yes, I am hurtin'. at least it wasn't the camera body - that would have been even more expensive to replace.

    ReplyDelete
  9. The only rapture I had was the good laugh with friends that came over for dinner last night. Oh...wait...I'm sorry. I meant "rupture," not "rapture." I busted a gut laughing with them.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I'd go to a ceremony to celebrate a big old tree. But sorry about the lens. :(

    (I'd forgotten all about the delayed Rapture.)

    ReplyDelete
  11. The world as we know it may come to an end due to this terrible economic crisis we're in. That's as close to doomsday as we'll come.

    I'm glad you went to that ceremony in honor of the tree but sorry that you broke your lens there. Don't you have some general sort of insurance that covers that sort of loss? You may want to look into that. It doesn't have to be expensive.

    I think a 300 year old tree is worth celebrating. I hope it lasts another couple of 100 years. I'll keep my fingers crossed for it.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Oh, I forgot the world was supposed to end!

    I'm so sorry you dropped your lens!

    So that's Canada's oldest oak maybe? Interesting.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Yeah, sorry about your lens. Dropping lenses is part and parcel of that mad obsession called photography. (I dropped mine into a stream once).

    ReplyDelete
  14. What? The end of the world? Again?

    Sheesh, they'll just keep it up until they get it right won't they? And then have the gall to say "I told you so".

    Morons.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Jazz: to be fair, I think it is only this one guy who is saying this and there hasn't been as much fuss or mockery over this pronouncement due to his (Harold Camping) having had a stroke recently.

    ReplyDelete
  16. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

    I'm in agony for and with you.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Eek, sorry about the lens. But I am really chuffed to read about a ceremony honouring a tree. (Being a confirmed dendrophile, aka tree-hugger.) That's just wonderful! What an enlightened country you live in! I'm going to bed happy now. :)

    ReplyDelete

Glad you stopped by. For anyone who stumbled here, don't be shy to say 'hi' and let me know you've visited!