Loss of an old friend

[John_T.]

Today is a sad day for all Marylanders. We have loss a 480 year old National champion White Oak tree. She succumb to the 70 Mph. winds of a T-storm last night. Her name was The Wye Oak in Wye Mills, Md. This tree was a great icon for the Eastern Shore of Maryland. In fact it was, along with the land around it, A State park. George Washington's Mt. Vernon estate just had some saplings planted on its property a month ago. I feel very thankfull that I have a 12 year old off spring of the Wye Oak growing nicely in my back yard. They will leave it laying down for 2 days so those who wish to visit it may do so. I will take good care of my tree, and enjoy it even more. I would love to get some of the wood from it, but don't think I can.

[Captain_Bandaid]

Woodbutcher, I know how you feel. I watched in disgust as housing developers pushed down several very old, very large white oaks in our subdivision to make room for houses. These trees were about 4-5 feet in diameter at the base and spread out to cover a circle of 50-60 feet. However, nature will find a way...this spring I found a sapling growing in the flower bed in my front yard....it was a white oak. I am nurturing it along, assuming that it is the off-spring of one of those lost to 'progress'.

[John_T.]

This one was 18ft. in diameter! * They said on the news at noon, They have armed guards on site to keep people away from it. The National Historic trust isn't sure what to do with it yet. So no chance of getting any wood to carve.

[Captain_Bandaid]

??? Well, why don't they cut the wood for lumber and build a monument to the tree?

[John_T.]

They said the new National Champion white Oak is in Ohio I think. They are hauling this one away to an undisclosed storage facility. Enough I won't bore you anymore.

They should contact a good chainsaw carver to make a monument they could stand right in the very spot . I know there are some very talented chainsaw cavers near by . National champion Dennis Beach . My good friends Rick and Randy Boni . Bill Plant , I traveled to Ridgway PA.were Rick and Randy live in Feb. 107 of us chainsaw carvers. met and carved for the make a wish foundation. we raise 25,000 dollar one day . Great bunch of carvers they traveled from Japan ,Germany, England ,Scotland, Canada and all across the USA for this event that is a yearly event now . You can find qualified carvers on the www.carvingpost.com there plenty of works to look at on the links .