little porcupine

two elderly apple trees reside side by side in our back yard. they have seen much in their 50+ years. every spring we wonder if this will be their last, but sure enough, they leaf out and blossom in spite of their hollow trunks and barren branches. we tie a hammock between the two of them and relax in their shade every summer.

in the kitchen early this morning, i happened to look out the window to see our hammock lying on the ground. it didn't make sense until i got outside and saw one of the stately apple trees lying on it's side. as it was almost fifty feet tall, it took up a significant part of our lawn. i walked around the branches, noticing the bountiful crop of apples it was readying for harvest. this tree had withstood multiple ice storms and hurricanes in its lifetime, and yet it finally succumbed to the weight of it's own fruit. trying to tease out the lesson here, i walked around to the trunk. two feet in diameter and mostly hollow, this was a massive tree. a grey tail hanging down from the opposite side of the trunk caught my attention. those grey squirrels. always up for an adventure, i thought. i followed the tail and the scuffing sounds around to the other side where i came upon a baby porcupine, struggling to extract himself from inside the tree. we looked at each other, neither of us sure what to make of the situation. i ran for my camera. he kept digging his way out. when i returned, i was able to catch a few quick shots before the porcupine shuffled on along the now horizontal trunk, taking shelter in the fallen branches.

walking back to the house, i felt loss. that tree was part of our family's landscape. then i thought of the little porcupine. i may have lost my hammock, but he had lost his home. be well tonight, little fella.