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It snowed today. Several inches. A light fall all day, really, but there was already quite a bit of snow everywhere when we woke up this morning. Fall is unpredictable in Utah.
I admire the trees immensely. I often give them human traits and thoughts and voices that they realistically don't have, but today I admire them purely for the way they're built. Those branches are taking a tremendous weight. Most of the trees haven't even started changing colors yet, which means their leaves still have all their water in them. If you've cleaned up a yard covered in fallen leaves, you know how much a trash bag full of dry leaves can weigh; imagine how much those leaves weigh with all their water on them.
The branches are built for that weight. Imagine how much snow must weigh; you've seen what it does when it falls off roofs and makes unsupported roofs fall. Have you ever heard a tree groan under the weight of the snow? Its bark is pulling apart, even though it has prepped itself for the weight by getting rid of its leaves and by pulling all its moisture inside itself.
Now imagine the strength it would take to hold the leaves and the snow. And then add the wind that was blowing this morning. As the weatherman said on the news yesterday, "Expect fallen branches."
I admire the trees immensely. I often give them human traits and thoughts and voices that they realistically don't have, but today I admire them purely for the way they're built. Those branches are taking a tremendous weight. Most of the trees haven't even started changing colors yet, which means their leaves still have all their water in them. If you've cleaned up a yard covered in fallen leaves, you know how much a trash bag full of dry leaves can weigh; imagine how much those leaves weigh with all their water on them.
The branches are built for that weight. Imagine how much snow must weigh; you've seen what it does when it falls off roofs and makes unsupported roofs fall. Have you ever heard a tree groan under the weight of the snow? Its bark is pulling apart, even though it has prepped itself for the weight by getting rid of its leaves and by pulling all its moisture inside itself.
Now imagine the strength it would take to hold the leaves and the snow. And then add the wind that was blowing this morning. As the weatherman said on the news yesterday, "Expect fallen branches."
