Thursday, April 30, 2009

Obituary for the "honking tree"...

It was reported today that some crazed person chopped down the famous "honking tree." Do you know about that tree? You can check it out and read about the vandalism by clicking on this DNT link. As long as I can remember, every time our family headed up the shore toward Two Harbors, I would hear from my kids, "Dad, don't forget to honk at the 'honking tree!' " If we were heading to a kid hockey game–or whatever–honking at that lonely tree standing in the small parcel of land between lanes of the freeway provided us with luck at the game or an opportunity to give a friendly hello toot to a famous tree. What would possess someone to do this type of vandalism is beyond me and unforgivable. 

Do you have a "honking tree" story to tell? Feel free to comment here on this blog and share your tale. We'd like to hear about it. That tree deserves our eulogies so we may honor it's unique and wonderful folklore. 

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

i hope who ever did this pays that was so wrong i cant even count how many that tree has been there forever it was a symbol of peace in Two Harbors i hope they go to "tree jail" they deserve that at least

Jim Heffernan said...

Anonymous:
I agree. This act is not a frivolous act. It's a serious act of violence and to something pure and beautiful in nature and to all of us who recognized it's value.. I've heard from some who think..."it's just a tree... move on." But I say, if everyone did such acts, where then is civility?

KaerligMor said...

No matter where I lived, no matter where I travelled, the Honking Tree always meant "Welcome Home" to me. I am not a Two Harbors resident or native; I live in Silver Bay. But I've always loved that tree, ever since I was a very young child and lived up by the Caribou. I remember when I was in high school and someone had spray painted "SB" on it. I remember seeing "TH" spray painted on its trunk more than once and in different ways.

I loved how you could see that tree from quite a distance; something like three miles away. If you knew what to look for and where, you could just make out the top of it amid all the other trees.

I am happy that my kids were able to see the Honking Tree and are old enough to have some appreciation for something so magnificent. I am sad for a lot of different reasons, but maybe especially for the young children and the generations to come who will only ever be able to hear stories about the great tree and not see it for themselves.

Jim Heffernan said...

KarligMor:
Thanks for sharing your perspectives about the "Honking Tree." Wonderful traditions like this tree help keep us all connected; this seems especially important for children who need hope and tradition in their young lives. So sad....

David Lee Short said...

Children adopt such traditions with amazing facility. Mine, as we started up the south slope of Thompson Hill and approached Midway Road, would look at the Nopeming road sign and quietly begin to chant, “Pem, pem, pem….” I’m told the sign is no longer there.

Jim Heffernan said...

David:
Do I detect, "We are making too much of this tree" in your comment? Still... the "pem" chant sounds like a rather fun tradition.

Martin said...

What about the hundreds of trees that were cut down to make way for the motorway?