Is that the tree that was in "Sleepy Hollow"? Just kidding, the "Sleepy Hollow" tree was probably fabricated, as it was real spooky and had a horse always coming out of it.
I ordered a t-shirt in 99' from that movie just because it had that eerie tree on it.
Guy, I'm not sure that I saw that tree when I was there. I saw the Gudgel Oak and the Marker Tree (White Oaks), that Bur Oak isn't ringing a bell though. I take photos of everything, I don't recall having photos of Bur Oaks on that trip. It could be that I'm just not recalling it. Did we see that tree and I just don't remember?
Speaking of photos, today I went to the local big cemetary and started taking photos of many trees there. The battery in my camera went dead there after I took about ten photos. I can usually squeeze out a few more photos when it is going dead, but this time my camera wouldn't even come on. I hope a spirit or spirits didn't put something on my camera.
I'll charge my camera back up and get back out there and take more photos soon.
I had the date feature turned off this time, I thought that might be best for better photos.
In any case, that is a creepy, eerie tree. Maybe a long time ago someone went unconscious or went in a coma too close to the tree, and the tree swallowed him/her up? Wouldn't that be something if a skeleton were found inside the tree someday? "Spooky Oak" or perhaps the last name of the elderly couple and "Oak" would probably just do good enuff to not only carry on their legacy, but also give some appeal to the scary old tree. That face alone would give it a reputation even without a name, perhaps it would get its own name by the townspeople. And then, the whole region would be fond of it. You know kind of like Lincoln's ghost coming down the road there at nite, being pulled by horses!
That area has some history there is no doubt. I think your right to want to preserve the 2 acres. If it were me, I think I'd add some lights to it and maybe some fencing to keep vandals, spooners and wackos and the like away.
That tree (and surroundings) could very well have a story to tell. That tree might be sensing it's impending doom (and the larger tree nearby) and is trying to get someone's attention.
I bet that tree would get a following quickly. Not to make light of the tree at all, I think people want to be scared and mystified by scary trees, and they want a reason to have some imagination. For instance, the "Sleepy Hollow" tree, the trees in "Lord of the Rings", and there's more I'm sure.
You often see where photos of faces have been taken. Some of them don't really resemble a face, somebody's imagination ran wild. But your above photo is clearly resembling a face (mummified even).
A Bur Oak tree is a perfect tree to give that scary, eerie, creepy, mysterious feeling to visitors, it is just a long-lived, gnarled and twisted up tree. It is a favorite of mine for those reasons, well, and other more real reasons too. I have a soft spot for Oaks in general, White Oaks maybe a little more. Here, I have that Q. Bebbiana (Taco Oak) growing nicely. I have many Bur Oak (Q. macrocarpa), Swamp White Oak (Q. bicolor), White Oak (Q. alba) and Chinkapin Oak (Q. muehlenbergii) seedlings, all from acorns. I have them in pots that are all on the big side, for seedlings so I haven't worried a lot about the taproots circling in the pots yet. Some of the larger 2 and 3 year seedlings are about ready for larger pots soon though.
I saw some interesting landscaping over East a ways, pretty close to the Kansas Speedway, the parking lot around an IHOP was ringed with what appeared to be Bur Oak trees. I've been meaning to get over there and get photos of it. An interesting landscaping plan. Unfortunately, the trees could never get to maturity (they'd get much too big), but interesting choice nonetheless.
Thanks for the offer, if I get over there maybe we can visit it.
Will
