I've had three close calls with lightning. Once was in the White Mountains of AZ, when lightning hit a tree about the size of the one in the video about 100 feet from me.
We have a big-ass Black Walnut in the backyard. Maybe 70 feet, or so, high and wide. I can only guess at its true size, not being a tree guy, myself.
But years ago a tree guy looked at the trunk, where there's a visible vertical wound maybe 2 feet long that starts maybe 4 feet from the ground. You can see where the trunk is compromised above it.
Anyway, the tree guy said that it was probably caused by a lightning strike many years ago.
"That runs dead, and hollow, all the way up. Still, it's healed over not too bad."
Not too bad. Those words sent shivers down my spine, like a bolt of icy lightning. What if that tree collapses? What if a branch falls? (The secondary branches are as big as fully grown trees all by themselves) Imagine the damage to everything below! Imagine the tremendous expense! Imagine the enormous change it would make to the landscape! A giant hole in the sky!
Years later I still awake sometimes in the dead of night in a cold sweat just worrying about it all.
On the other hand, I'll never have to purchase firewood for the rest of my life.
I worked a case years back. We represented the local power company. A guy was delivery sheetrock to a construction site. He had a crane on his flatbed. As he was swinging the crane he hit a hot wire elevated above his truck. Electricity always finds a hole to exit. It chose his penis. Blew his entire package clean off. Got that image out of your head dudes!!
Lightening does some weird stuff. Doesn't always hit the highest object in a land scape. Right here in our yard, in the city, we had two direct lighting strikes just like the one in the photo, but smaller trees. Both were over-grown plum trees (means they were not tended well by the previous owner...got too tall) that had only sentimental value, except for the sweat bees that swarmed daily.
I only saw the damages of the first strike. The second one happened right in front of me...promptly went and changed my pants and cut the rest of it down.
It was God's will...we now have lovely evergreen and paper birch trees...and NO f'ing bee swarms.
8 comments:
The wages of tree sin is death.
Left unanswered: But did it make any sound?
You don't see any videos of guy wins lottery.
I've had three close calls with lightning. Once was in the White Mountains of AZ, when lightning hit a tree about the size of the one in the video about 100 feet from me.
We have a big-ass Black Walnut in the backyard. Maybe 70 feet, or so, high and wide. I can only guess at its true size, not being a tree guy, myself.
But years ago a tree guy looked at the trunk, where there's a visible vertical wound maybe 2 feet long that starts maybe 4 feet from the ground. You can see where the trunk is compromised above it.
Anyway, the tree guy said that it was probably caused by a lightning strike many years ago.
"That runs dead, and hollow, all the way up. Still, it's healed over not too bad."
Not too bad. Those words sent shivers down my spine, like a bolt of icy lightning. What if that tree collapses? What if a branch falls? (The secondary branches are as big as fully grown trees all by themselves) Imagine the damage to everything below! Imagine the tremendous expense! Imagine the enormous change it would make to the landscape! A giant hole in the sky!
Years later I still awake sometimes in the dead of night in a cold sweat just worrying about it all.
On the other hand, I'll never have to purchase firewood for the rest of my life.
I've looked at Black Walnuts from both sides now.
AllenS, You almost got Trevinoed!
I worked a case years back. We represented the local power company. A guy was delivery sheetrock to a construction site. He had a crane on his flatbed. As he was swinging the crane he hit a hot wire elevated above his truck. Electricity always finds a hole to exit. It chose his penis. Blew his entire package clean off. Got that image out of your head dudes!!
Lightening does some weird stuff. Doesn't always hit the highest object in a land scape. Right here in our yard, in the city, we had two direct lighting strikes just like the one in the photo, but smaller trees. Both were over-grown plum trees (means they were not tended well by the previous owner...got too tall) that had only sentimental value, except for the sweat bees that swarmed daily.
I only saw the damages of the first strike. The second one happened right in front of me...promptly went and changed my pants and cut the rest of it down.
It was God's will...we now have lovely evergreen and paper birch trees...and NO f'ing bee swarms.
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