Where trees are fallen there is grief

An old gazebo behind a towering tree.

"Give me a land of boughs in leaf,
        a land of trees that stand;
where trees are fallen there is grief;
        I love no leafless land."
A. E. Housman

In my "Gimme shelter" post, I mentioned about my plan to rebuild or resurrect a long gone gazebo in one corner of the farm. Apart from having a crude bamboo trellis built and letting a Red Jade Vine climb over it, I really haven't done anything else to rebuild the gazebo. I was biding for time until I can personally see the area and discuss with my father about a good replacement.

Come to think of it, I'm relieved that I didn't immediately go full blast with this particular project. My procrastination this time was a blessing in disguise because several days after I published that blog entry something unthinkable happened.

The fallen tree over the ruins of the old gazebo.

This tree which used to stand tall and proud was humbled by the strongest storm that ever hit the farm. During the clean-up after the storm they chopped off its branches thinking that it's a goner. But after a few months it began to sprout tender branches and new leaves. Despite its almost horizontal position it's still alive, it's  a survivor. I could have the trunk cut into pieces if I really wish so, but I feel sorry for this tree.If it's alive then it deserves to live.

And this is not just any tree, it's a Narra tree (Pterocarpus indicus). The Narra is the Philippines' national tree. It's a hardwood so hard that it's termite-resistant. The wood is reddish in color and very much sought for in house constructions and a valuable raw material in the furniture industry. A furniture made of Narra is very expensive.

Another view of the downed Narra tree.

I don't know if Mother Nature is telling me to back off, or forcing me to think things over first or challenging me to be creative in dealing with this unusual situation. Whatever solution I can come up with later, one thing is for sure, if it survives I will not sacrifice the life of this precious tree just so I could build a new structure there.
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Video Feature

Before we proceed to our featured video, let me tell you about an interesting anecdote...

Several years ago (over fifteen years to be a bit more specific), my father had a foresight to plant several mahogany trees in the farm, thinking that someday we may just have a need for some hardwood. Years later, the trees are majestically standing, neatly lined on the left side of the driveway and a few more are deeply rooted at some other parts of the farm. Back then the farm was way smaller in area than it is today.

As years went by, the farm has grown in size and a new project was eventually conceived. This project will require several timbers for construction. Today, the trees planted way back then are just about ready for the 'need' that father predicted some years ago.

Now on to the featured video for today from Mother Nature Network...

What is a tree farmer?