It is a well known fact that wind can do major damage. Here on the Bayou, that is quite evident. We get a lot of hurricanes passing through this way. The straight line winds push the tides way up and also cause damage to buildings. This can be devastating, to say the least. Hurricane winds don't just come in one direction, however. In fact, while the strongest winds usually are in a direct path, you never really know which direction the gusts will blow. Plus, most hurricanes have tornadoes mixed in the mess so everything is topsy-turvy. A hurricane is one big mess of wind coming from just about every direction in any given moment. Pop always used to say that a hurricane had a mind of its own and you should never take its action as a given. "Its always going to change and surprise you to the worst." They do change so never take to the idea that you have one figured out. You don't. Trust me on that.
In 1985 a hurricane was playing in the Gulf of Mexico. It was one of those unpredictable storms that left everyone confused. The hurricane went this way and that. It made many turns before setting its sites on a place to make landfall. On September 2, Hurricane Elena paid us a visit. The storm made landfall as a Category 3 and pretty much wreaked havoc on the Gulf Coast. Hurricane Elena spawned many, many tornadoes which decimated everything in their paths.
That said, down the hill near where the property meets the marsh, an old oak tree stands. It has been there for decades upon decades as have most of the other oak trees on the place. This one particular oak, however, still shows the strength of hurricane winds in its limbs. It was shortly after Hurricane Elena (and its many tornadoes) that we noticed the evidence that the oak had been caught up in the middle of a cyclone. Several of its huge limbs were torqued into odd shapes. The tree was strong and withstood the winds but, to this day, it still bears the evidence of the trauma. The twisted branches are a reminder not to take the weather for granted. Mother Nature can release her fury on the Bayou at any time (as in any place) so it makes sense just to be fully aware of what is happening and to be prepared.
As I stood looking at the oddly shaped branches today, it came to mind that, while we can prepare for storms, the trees just have to "hold their ground". They are battered by both wind and water but the old oaks do a fine job of being sturdy. I pondered of how many storms these old trees must have witnessed. How many times were they bent and broken only to recuperate and thrive again? Hurricane Elena was bad but how many storms before and how many after were worse? Hurricane Katrina came along some twenty years later and did her best to decimate the Gulf Coast. The oaks beat the odds against her, too. Between these two storms many other hurricanes and tropical storms twisted and turned the trees. The old oaks stood strong against those unpredictable winds that rip, tear, twist and ravage the place. What mighty trees they are! I put my hand against the rough bark and wished I could stand so strong against the odds.
