Even before I took Professor John Azar’s philosophy class at Henry Ford Community College in the mid-70s, I had heard, (and maybe even pondered over), the expression:

“If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?”

Well, people have been contemplating, and/or debating, that conundrum for years, just as they have hashed out the heady notion of whether the chicken or the egg appeared first.

So, whether or not a tree falls soundlessly, its absence indeed makes a noticeable difference, once it is no longer standing tall and regal, but instead, is slumped over onto a grassy slope and half submerged in the murky Ecorse Creek. All that remains now, are remnants of that trunk, bare, with jagged edges and a fresh wood scent.

You might recall my blog post back on February 26^th , wherein I described walking past a tree at Council Point Park, and hearing some large branches rubbing together, and making a creepy, creaking noise.  It was a little eerie sounding, and I hurried on past, lest that tree should crash down across the pathway.

Well, jump ahead a few weeks later, to when I was enjoying my Sunday stroll on March 19^th.

Last Sunday, I took the above pictures of that tree, that had no doubt cracked and fell as a result of those wild winds we had on March 8^th.   But, these pictures really don’t show the extent of the damage … a tall tree, just snapped off like a toothpick, its long-dead branches crowding into the existing trees and parts pointing toward the water.

It was a little sad to see to see the destruction, and, I recalled the earlier walk, and recoiling just a little, when I heard the creaking noises, knowing full well that no good would come to that tree. The proof is seen in the above photos.

I returned to Council Point Park again this morning.

Once again, today dawned cold, but clear, and since the sun was shining, I scooted out the door earlier to get to that destination. I have to bulk up on the miles since rain is in the long-range forecast nearly every day over the next week.  Yesterday was designated as an errand day since my boss was out of the office, and, the time expended on these tasks, helps preserves the weekend for this big cleaning project I have been endeavoring to complete – soon I hope.  But, since I hated to give up the walking, I strapped on the pedometer to count my steps at Meijer, managing to glean a couple of miles from walking the perimeter of the store a few times.  Then, I had the obligatory stop at the service counter to deal with my cellphone faux pas I wrote about last week.

I was actually getting a bit antsy as I saw my walking miles and car mileage “nearly neck-in-neck. So … Must. Walk. More!!!

The sky was bright blue, flawless except for some contrails, which crisscrossed the sky looking like hashtags, or, as if someone upstairs was playing “Xs” and “Os”.

I had a package of peanuts and some of my favorite “followers” were around to partake in them. I told my little pals that there was no time to linger, and no photo ops this morning, as I was just getting my walk in and had to get on home.

I got one entire loop walked and headed for home, happy to have spent some treasured “me time” out enjoying nature.