The Late Lone Tree of Tenere

tree_of_tenere_1, originally uploaded by Alihodza.

"The Tree of Ténéré, was a solitary acacia, of either Acacia raddiana or Acacia tortilus, that was once considered the most isolated tree on Earth — the only one within more than 400 km. It was a landmark on caravan routes through the Ténéré region of the Sahara in northeast Niger — so well known that it is the only tree to be shown on a map at a scale of 1:4,000,000...It was the last surviving tree of a group of trees that grew when the desert was less parched than it is today. The tree had stood alone for decades. During the winter of 1938–1939 a well was dug near the tree and it was found that the roots of the tree reached the water table 33–36 meters below the surface."

from wikipedia.org/

Survivor -An Acacia en the desert

Akacia tree in the rocky Eastern desert, originally uploaded by Blind Höna.

There are a number of trees in the world that draw our attention not because they are so grand in and of themselves but rather for the fact that they have survived conditions that are not conducive to life. These lone trees survive because their roots go so deep that they reach the water table, in some cases up to 100 feet below ground.

Tree of Life in Bahrain

The famous Tree of Life, originally uploaded by solvo.

Out in the middle of a vast desert in Bahrain there stands a tree that is popularly called the "Tree of Life". It is a solitary splash of green in a vast ocean of sand. It is believed to be a 400 year old "Mesquite"(??) tree and is located about 2 kilometers from Jebel Dukhan. According to local legend this tree stands in the exact spot of the Biblical garden of eden.

Black and White Lone Tree

Perfect tree, originally uploaded by Daveybot.

The image reminds me of an x-ray. This is the skeleton of a perfectly formed tree. I sort of makes you feel like time has stopped. You can hear the silence in the cool crisp air around this sleeping beauty.

The rest of the trees in the background have all huddled together for safety and comfort, their branches interlocked as if they were holding hands. They don´t have the confidence that this tree has.

Imagine that you could walk up to the tree, place your hand on its trunk, close your eyes and see a vision of the scenes that this lone tree has witnessed over the years. What do you think you would see?

I see a boy with his dog, a Golden Retriever. As they pass by the tree the boy finds a perfect throwing stick and waves it in front of his dog who immediately gets the message and turns his body in the opposite direction while looking back and keeping an eye on the soon to be thrown stick.