When
Hurricane Ike’s storm surge engulfed Galveston Island many of the city’s
stately old live oak trees were uprooted. Later, exposure to the salty water
killed many others. Some of the dead trees were simply cut down and hauled
away, but a few homeowners decided that, having been given lemons, they would
make lemonade.
Several
chain-saw artists were summoned to turn dead trees into sculptures. Today,
Nancy and I took a driving tour to see the art.
The
largest and most elaborate is on Sealy Street. It features various waterbirds
such as herons and roseate spoonbills as well as frogs and butterflies. Here’s
Nancy standing beside it.
The most
whimsical sculpture is this pointer standing on hind legs with paws resting on
the fence.
Today the
dog was wearing a Texas A&M ball cap.
Nancy and
I judged this sculpture of two herons to be the most beautiful.
The
homeowners have posted a sign explaining that the inside of their house had
four feet of water in the first-floor rooms. The sign explained that the artist created the herons in
one afternoon using three sizes of chain saws and a chisel.
Thanks to the Galvestonians who,
having weathered many storms, know how to make great lemonade and share it with
passersby.
Copyright
2013 by Shirley Domer
No comments:
Post a Comment