Geometry...

On my right is my good friend, the sycamore tree. I was first introduced to the sycamore by our gardens curator at Bayou Bend. On the historic property, there is an enormous specimen of this fascinating tree that invariably catches visitors' eyes. It looks like two trees, actually, joined just above the base, and it soars into the sky for several stories. Most of the bark shines almost stark white - the eye-catching characteristic, and at certain times of the year, the outer layer turns dark and sloughs off in long sheets that curl into brittle rolls on the ground.

The tree in the picture is actually another visible along the walk from our visitors' center down to the bridge over the bayou. Though the weather has been somewhat unbearably in the high 90s with heat indexes in the 100s, that walk is just a perfect one for thawing out from the frigid air-conditioning of the offices, with the best part being the chance to open one's eyes - to stretch one's vision and imagination over the lunch break before returning to the business part of working for a museum.

So, why geometry? Well, does the angle of this branch not bring to mind some sort of geometric word problem from your past? Some impossible scenario created by an annoying textbook-writer trying to show us how these things might have practical application some day? A 90- degree angle in a tree for what appears to be no really good reason?

This is another fascinating aspect of sycamores. Their branches do that sometimes. Unpredictable things for no good reason. Well, maybe they had a reason, but they aren't telling. Something about that just really appeals to me. It makes me laugh.