Tuesday 28 January 2014

A Sad Loss.

A number of the Shire trees suffered some damage during the recent storms, but as far as I’ve seen, only one was brought down. The shame of it is that it was one of three Horse Chestnuts growing at the side of Church Lane on the edge of the creepy copse.

The Horse Chestnut is a favourite of mine because it’s the first of the standards to leaf in the spring, often preceding the others by about a month. The leaves are particularly large and spectacular, and they last well into autumn as the others do. That, for me, makes it the true harbinger of summer. And that’s why, even though I find any fallen or cut tree a sad sight, the Horse Chestnut is a particular loss.

4 comments:

Madeline said...

I love horse chestnuts. I had a collection of them going for some time in college.

JJ said...

I assume you mean the seeds - what British kids use to play conkers (although I gather the game is known in North America, too.)

I agree. There is something compelling about their shape, colour and shiny surface.

Madeline said...

Glad I'm not the only one. My roommate thought I was nuts (though that was not the only reason).

JJ said...

Do you know, I was going to add a rider along the lines of:

Most Brits would consider you nuts for collecting conkers. 'You're supposed to smash them, Maddie - smash them!'