 |
| Oak Alley Plantation |
Sunday night we slept in a nice little house on the grounds
of the Oak Alley Plantation in Vacherie, Louisiana. This plantation is famous
for its grand alley of 28 oak trees, which, according to the brochure, are at
least one hundred years older than the photogenic house that graces the end of
the alley. I think they are much older than that. There is an oak tree in
Tallahassee, Florida with a grand age of 600 to 800 years old and it’s as big
as some of the trees on the Oak Alley Plantation. I must concede that weather
and climate do contribute to the size of each ring/year of the tree’s life so
that may make the difference.
 |
| My dad and me |
 |
| My Mother and me |
 |
| The "Lichgate" Tree in Tallahassee, FL |
My parents were married under the Tallahassee tree which is
now protected by the Lichgate Foundation. The owner of the property when my
parents were married was Dr. Laura Jepsen. Dr. Jepsen just happened to be one of my mother’s
teachers at Florida State University at the time. My mother, being the woman
she is, asked permission to marry under that tree. Her story is told in a small
book that Dr. Jepsen wrote about all the happenings that occurred while she was
resident owner of the tree and its environs. She herself is famous for, in the
1970’s, being the first woman professor to sue Florida State University for
equal pay, and she won! “It was Miss Jepsen’s “hope and desire,” as stated in her will –
that the enchanted Lichgate property be preserved for future generations to
enjoy. The property was almost sold for commercial development; but in the 11th
hour a small group of people, many of them former students of Miss Jepsen’s,
came together, formed a non-profit organization, and took out a bank loan to
preserve the property.” Now it helps to support itself by being rented
for weddings, family reunions, etc. School children also tour, plant and tend
small gardens on the grounds.
 |
| One of the trees at Oak Alley Plantation |
I have an abiding and tender love for Live Oaks. I SO wish I
could listen to what they could say, the stories they could tell, the history
they have been eye-witness to, at times to their chagrin I’m sure. I’m also
convinced that the history they could recount would be much more honest, not to
mention more interesting than any fiction. A few years ago I had a tree speak
to me in a fashion while I sat cradled high in its branches in Audubon Park in
New Orleans one dusky evening. I leaned against its strong trunk, my hands lay
flat upon its rough bark and I closed my eyes. I felt safe there, hidden from
the world beneath me and comforted by the tree’s enormous unconscious strength.
That experience gave me the inspiration for one of the novels in my Celtic
trilogy, The Celtic Storm. Oaks were revered by the Druids, the priests of the
Celts, and were cherished for their wisdom and longevity. In my novel a young
girl discovers an ancient oak in the middle of a forest clearing. It speaks to
her and over time it becomes her confident, playing an essential role in
shaping her character.
I have an abiding and tender love for Live Oaks. I SO wish I
could listen to what they could say, the stories they could tell, the history
they have been eye-witness to, at times to their chagrin I’m sure. I’m also
convinced that the history they could recount would be much more honest, not to
mention more interesting than any fiction. A few years ago I had a tree speak
to me in a fashion while I sat cradled high in its branches in Audubon Park in
New Orleans one dusky evening. I leaned against its strong trunk, my hands lay
flat upon its rough bark and I closed my eyes. I felt safe there, hidden from
the world beneath me and comforted by the tree’s enormous unconscious strength.
That experience gave me the inspiration for one of the novels in my Celtic
trilogy, The Celtic Storm. Oaks were revered by the Druids, the priests of the
Celts, and were cherished for their wisdom and longevity. In my novel a young
girl discovers an ancient oak in the middle of a forest clearing. It speaks to
her and over time it becomes her confident, playing an essential role in
shaping her character.
