Grandfather Oak

While I havent got there to take pictures of myself with it yet, I have found an article about the tree that was so memorable from my youth. Found in a place we (locals) called Lost Park I decided to share it with you. The memories associated with Grandfather Oak and Grandmother Oak (so dubbed because of her slightly smaller size, but has since been struck by lightning) are some of my first steps to finding myself out to be a druid. Heres a small excerpt and pictures of the tree, recently some new locals with no respect tried to cut it down with a few axe marks, I think they realized the enormity of the task and gave up. Grandfather Oak is strong!
Come fall I plan to go gather some acorns and plant those as a new druid project.

And just for good measure, there’s the Memorial Oak, tucked away near the second fairway of Pecan Valley Golf Course in southwest Fort Worth. It is the Texas state champion bur oak.

memorial oak registryThe Memorial Oak is eighty-one feet high, nineteen feet in circumference (almost six feet in diameter). (You knew that Texas would have an official registry for biggest trees, didn’t you?) It is thought to be about four hundred years old. Comanche and Kiowa tribes considered the tree to be sacred and conducted ceremonies under it.

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Wow, looking at a picture the face jumped out at me, kind of high up but probably because of our kinship. I hope to go see ihim again soon.

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Lots of personality in that one. Thank you for sharing.

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Such a beautiful tree. It angers me so much when people do horrible things to those older trees. I can see it’s strong, but I still wish people learned to respect all life.

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Love it. Thanks for sharing.

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Wow! That tree is absolutely magnificient! The first fork is so high up. Beautiful. Where I live in the desert, we don’t really have oaks. However, a 20 minute drive will get you into the heart of the realm of the vulnerable Engelmann Oak, which is native to this area. They are stout, stubborn, and gnarly just like me. The only thing stopping me from stopping the car, getting out, and taking a nap under one are the ‘no trespassing’ signs posted everywhere. Someday.

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Thanks for your reply, being as I dont live as close anymore I am going to be headed there around Alban Elfed 2022 and gathering acorns for growing and I will be saying goodbye and thanking him for his early presence in my life. It might be the last time I see him for awhile if not for good. I will be taking fresh pictures and leaving offerings for guiding me to the druid path. I am truly thankful to be able to share this part of me with others of like mind who appreciate his presence as well and those whos honorable intentions I will take to him as offerings as well.

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I love that there’s a Big Tree Registry in Texas. :star:

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Me too and I’ll be excited to go see all the ones at Mother Neff state park where the previous champions were at before lightning got them. I am hoping to plant one of my special oaks saplings when I get them at Alban Elfed. Probably the only reason the one I call grandfather hasnt is because of the dam and it sits at lower elevation than some of the surrounding oaks, next to a river. However there was another almost 1/3 to 1/2 its size close by when I was younger that did get struck by lightning. I was sad to see her go, but her spirit remains. I called her grandmother. If ever I knew a natural grove this was it!

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