Gretchen. . .

The kiddos and I finally stopped to see Gretchen, the tree, after living here for 11 years. For those who don't know, I have affectionately termed this tree Gretchen, only because it's the first name that came to mind. This is an old oak, at least 250 years old, quite easily older.

On our way across the field to see Gretchen.

Isn't this thing huge?!?

A couple of the branches were low enough for SuperBoy to touch. These branches are easily as big or bigger than the trees in our yard.

One view of the trunk.

"Baby" branches that must have fallen during a recent storm.

A hole I could have easily put my whole foot into.

The backside of the tree, facing away from the road. There is an old piece of fence hanging horizontally about 4 feet off of the ground that says "Do Not Disturb" that seems to be intertwined with a cable about 3/8" think going straight up the tree. Is that big enough to serve as a lightning rod?

This hole is opposite of the other one. I wonder who, I mean what, lives here? Maybe it's the exit or entrance along with the other side. I believe this hole looked deeper than the first and the more I looked at it, the more it gave me the creeps. Just visions of something reaching out and snatching me or my children, nothing serious.

And on our way back across the field, we had two airplanes fly overhead. This one was the first and much closer than the camera lets on.