If a tree falls in a forest, and no one is around, does it make a sound? This philosophical question has been posed for years, perhaps as early as 1710. The curious query came to mind with the events of this morning (Fri 8/12). Bob and Laurie LaZebnik live in the house on Kentucky Point. About 5:30 am Laurie says “I peered out the window and the view had changed. I took a closer look, and a very old pin oak had tumbled in the lake.” Did it make a sound? “No, none it all. It silently fell into the lake.”
This is what it looked like from the Eagle Point shoreline after its fall.
From Eagle Point looking west.
This photo was taken on May 19, 2022.
This photo from 2012 shows the tree was struggling then.
Clark Lakers definitely have tree stories to tell. This one has been part of Kentucky Point’s well-known history. Laurie believed the oak to be 200 years old. That can be confirmed by counting the rings, although that task can be tedious. Photos going back to the early days of the Graziani’s on Kentucky Point help to illustrate the history of this tree.
In this photo, you can see the steamer heading east. Smoke from its engine creates haze around the tree.
Here’s another view from onshore, looking west.
The photo below was taken by Ern Belcher, probably in the early 1970s, from the Eagle Point shoreline.
Still standing on October 5, 2010.
Fritz Wilger will tell you that it’s better that a tree falls into the lake than onto your house. Click here to see why.
Trees can stand for generations and tend to become part of the fabric of our history. It’s sad to see them go, but one tree going ca also make room for existing trees to fill the gap or new ones to be planted.
Beautiful,poignant story, Rick. You are quite the wordsmith. I kayaked past KP several times this month while we were up, and remarked on the oak and the weeping willow on thepoint, remembering them veryvwell from my teenage years in the 60s. Sic transit gloria mundi- may its replacement live long and strong!
Another one bites the dust. Many years ago, my sister, Don Fowler and I were watching a wind storm on Q Lane from the safety of my Dad’s – then – screened in porch. All of the sudden, we looked over and saw this enormous oak on the shore between Fowler’s and Mary Reynolds slowly tip to the south and drop right between the 2 houses., with no – or very minimal damage – to either. Pretty sure it has something to do with ‘ clean living’!
In the 50s there was a rope strung over a lakeside tree limb of that tree. We would grab on, run and swing from the land to drop into the water. The Graziani great grandchildren taught me that trick.
Thank you, Rick for another wonderful story about this amazing community we have loved for so many years.
I remember the oak and the willow from the summers we spent just a few houses north of them. 1957-1963. Magnificent even way back then.
We lost a big oak last year here at Edgewater condos at Eagle Point. Sad to not have a tree in the yard anymore.
Beautiful,poignant story, Rick. You are quite the wordsmith. I kayaked past KP several times this month while we were up at the lake, and remarked on the craggy oak and towering weeping willow on the property, remembering them very well from my teenage years in the 60s. Sic transit gloria mundi- may its replacement live long and strong!
Always better to fall in the water. Back a year or two after the sewer was put in, my dad had a big oak about 4 ft diameter at the base come down in a storm. They had drilled about 5 ft away from the tree to put the sewer grinder pump in. We always assumed they damaged the roots. That tree came down in the drive in the only place it could without destroying a house or killing someone. The only damage was taking down the power lines overhead and going to the meter, damaged the neighbors car, and damaged the neighbors boat. God was looking out for us!