"don't count me out!" 249/366

Earlier this summer I wrote about trees that were removed 

across the street from my home. 

They were all at least as big as this one. 

When they were done cutting

 this is what was left of seven mature trees 

that had served to shade the playground. 

But the eighth one, the largest one? Well they left about 10-12 feet of it. It looked too silly for me to take a picture. For weeks every time I passed it I mentally, and sometimes physically, shook my head and wondered what in the world they were thinking, first of all, to take all of those trees out and secondly, to leave one like that. Were their chainsaws not big enough to take out the Granddaddy of them all? 

One day as I passed I noticed that part of it was painted orange. That looked even sillier. Was it marked for someone with better equipment to come back and finish the job?

Days passed. A platform was built. It made me wonder if the orange was a base coat for a picture to be painted. It made me curious enough to stop and take a closer look,

and when I did
I noticed something 
that made my heart smile, 
something that was an encouragement 
something that served as a challenging reminder. 

Sometimes things happen that make it look like "life" is over. 

But as long as the roots are healthy, new life can grow. 

Just look at those branches sprouting!

*Recently an article in our local paper was published explaining that an artist is going to surprise us all with a carving to be revealed when he is finished. That will be interesting. But nothing will take the place of the mature trees or match the beauty of new life growing when it looked like there was no hope.