Just the other evening, I was out tree-hunting in West Philly. It was blazing hot, steamy and sticky, so I headed
to Clark Park. I wanted to catch some
shade. I wanted to cool off and I wanted
to spend the last few hours of the day watching one of my favorite oaks in the
entire city.
On my way through the park, I noticed that one of the recent thunderstorms had
split a branch off a yellowwood tree.
Ever wonder why it’s called a yellowwood?
Well, here’s your answer:
The oak tree that I was hunting was on the other side of the park. It’s really one of my favorite oaks in the
city. I love the way it leans over the
grassy bowl. On this particular night,
the leaning oak was the setting for a Shakespeare in the Park rendition of The Merry Wives of Windsor.
William Shakespeare was, like many artists, a romantic fan of trees and
flowers, plants and herbs, nature and the wilds. Who can forget the bloody climax of Macbeth…when Thane Macduff disguises his
army as trees so they can secretly advance upon the murderous Macbeth’s castle,
inspiring my favorite Shakespeare quote of all time:
Macbeth’s Messenger: As I did stand my watch upon the hill,
I look'd toward Birnam, and anon, methought,
The wood began to move.
I look'd toward Birnam, and anon, methought,
The wood began to move.
I, too, have seen the woods move.
So, there I was, enjoying the oak, enjoying the shade, enjoying the
Shakespeare…finally cooling off, just getting used to the Old English…when my
cellphone started blowing up with voicemails and text messages, all saying the
same thing: Jon Spruce, turn on the local
news. There’s a tree attacking a house
in the Northeast.
I need a vacation.
