The 'widow-maker'
We have lots of gum trees at the river.
They're known as widow-makers
because they will suddenly and for no apparent
reason, drop a huge branch.
The track is littered with them.
They don't need storms or wind.
In drought, they sometimes 'sacrifice' branches
to use the water they can get to stay alive.
Every time we go, there are new branches on the ground.
They leave huge scars on the trees.
And huge branch-messes on the ground.
This tree is a popular parking spot...and even camping spot.
But yesterday, it decided it needed to shed a branch.
You can understand where they got the name Widow-makers
as they have fallen on unsuspecting people.
(31°C/88.52°F) at 5:30 a.m. heading towards
43°C/109.4°F today...
that's for you cold people. Your time will come.
Wonder what Paunxsutawny Phil will say on Sunday.
Thanks for sharing. We are pretty amazed by this and we love learning something new on Nature Friday's. Have a wonderful upcoming weekend.
ReplyDeleteWorld of Animals
Dangerous trees? I don't suppose you have Killer Koalas.
ReplyDeleteWith those temps, I'd be staying inside and not under a tree! But what an interesting, but dangerous one to have around. It reminds me a bit of the Ginkgo tree that loses all its leaves at once - A bit safer than the widow-maker!
ReplyDeletePartly cloudy in the forecast for us on the 2nd - We'll see what ole Phil has to say about the rest of the winter. I'm holding out for a snowy February.
That is a hard hat area
ReplyDeleteI have heard and read about gum trees, but never seen one until now. that is really scary, that they just fall with no warning. I am thinking I would not walk under one.. your heat is even hotter than ours was all summer, we stayed in the 90's but never reach the 100 mark. it was the longest period of 90's ever had here. our power bill was killer of the budget.
ReplyDeleteYikes - that is one dangerous tree to be around. Be careful, Roxy!
ReplyDeleteWhat an interesting, if not dangerous, tree. Around here our creek willows are kind of like that when they get older. They shed branches like crazy too. We hope you can stay cool inside with the air con on.
ReplyDeleteI would not want to walk under that tree. Since it is a gum tree maybe you could stick the branch back up with chewing gum that you find on the bottom of your shoe.
ReplyDeleteSweet William The Scot
Good grief that is just plain scary. Whew. I bet SHE is very hard to drag under any of those trees.
ReplyDelete109F I cannot imagine. I won't complain about the 44, damp dreary degrees we are having.
Hugs cecilia
OMD...that is very scary!!! We sure hope your Summer comes to an end real soon!!
ReplyDeletexoxo,
Rosy, Jakey & Arty
Yikes, maybe you should all wear helmets on your walks. When we were in Tobago the coconuts used to fall out of the trees onto people. It was pretty dangerous.
ReplyDelete