Farm Monuments

Memorial Day has once again passed on the calendar with the remembrance of our soldiers and loved ones.  We have honored those that gave us freedom with speeches and flowers laid at a monument.  Monuments are powerful reminders of the past, present and future.  Last year I wrote about the symbolism of our road, a local soldier, my great grandfather’s barn and our family dog.  It was well received.  This year my statues of strength are about the emotional ties of strong foundations in a sometimes hurried countryside. As the sun rises over my barn this day, I can see the silhouette of a monument from my office window that exemplifies strength, honor and respect that once again honors nature.  This simple testament of rural perseverance is a massive, 100 year old, deceased elm tree. It’s nothing more than a 30 foot high trunk standing out in the middle of the pasture with one old, log of a branch, sticking out to the left as a perch for our birds of prey.  Our farm had many of these beauties, but alas, they perished from Dutch Elm disease, wind and the lightning strike. As I look at her foundation, worn away from cow hooves, bugs and weather, it is evident that there is something special about the majesty of strong roots.  Within the core remains a heartwood that is steadfast like many in the farming community.  It lo