Monday, August 29, 2011

Sycamore Tree


On our travels to Stone Mountain, my husband and I pass by the most magificent tree that is by the side of the road just before we get to Stone Mountain village which is just outside the gates into Stone Mountain.  Every time we drive past it, I always say, "There is my tree!"   (Yes,  I am afraid that I say this EVERY SINGLE TIME.  But in my defense, it is an amazing tree.)   It has the largest leaves and they are shaped somewhat like a maple leaf ...and the bark of the tree is so beautiful, it is somewhat green, then brown and then it goes to white.  Even in the winter, the bark alone is enough to make you notice it  (you want to get out a paintbrush and paint it!)   I now know that it is a sycamore tree...

My husband and I just had to get out of the house yesterday and we drove a few miles over to the monastery that is here in Rockdale County.  The monks built it here in the early 40's since this area was just in the middle of nowhere.  It is an area of great beauty.  They just  built a new visitor center and one of the trees planted  in the courtyard area is a sycamore.  One of the visitors there informed me of this fact and I knew that it was the same tree that I have admired so many times on trips to Stone Mountain.  Of course, being me, even though he sounded like he knew what he was talking about, I still had to look it up on the internet and sure enough, that is what it is.

The only time I have every heard of the sycamore tree is from the song "Dream A Little Dream Of Me"...

                       Stars shining bright above you,
                       Night breezes seem to whisper I love you,
                       Birds singing in the sycamore tree,
                       Dream a little dream of me...

I couldn't help but think how appropriate those words were for me this week, as I spent hours sitting in a chair looking at my husband in his hospital bed as he slept...



4 comments:

  1. Kay, every time I hear the word "sycamore", I think of exactly those same lines of the song, and hear it in my head!
    Some of the roads here in my town are lined with very similar looking trees (the same? it's hard to tell for the quality of the picture), but we call them Platanen.
    Glad to know Richard is now well enough to be out and about with you!

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  2. Dear Librarian,
    Yes, Richard is able to ride in a car but he can't drive just yet. (Although he must be very gentle in his movements getting in and out of a car!)
    According to my research, the sycamore can also be called a planetree, so I'll bet the trees you see are in the same family. My son helped me find and put that photo of the sycamores on this post. I hope to photograph "my" tree on the way to Stone Mountain and put it on here in another post...it really is breathtakingly beautiful. Can you tell I love trees?
    Kay

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  3. The old standard Moonlight in Vermont mentions sycamores. You can visit you tube and type in the name and hear it sung, if you wish.

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  4. Nan,
    Oh, thanks so much for that info. I don't think I have ever heard that song. I picked the one by Willie Nelson and it is just the peaceful voice I needed to hear...
    THANKS, I needed that.

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