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Octopus Tree


Octopus Tree
Photo Information
Copyright: Lori Cannon (LCannon) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 374 W: 137 N: 804] (3107)
Genre: Plants
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 1988
Categories: Trees
Camera: Pentax K1000
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2005-02-16 0:54
Viewed: 4544
Points: 7
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
I took this photo on one of our trips to the Oregon Coast at Cape Meares Scenic Viewpoint.

This tree is a SITKA SPRUCE - (PICEA SITCHENSIS)

Tradition handed down by the Indians is that the eerie giant is a burial tree shaped when it was young to hold canoes of a chief's family. Such deeply-rooted lore passed from generation to generation is likely to be founded on truth, and Indian history of the area will corroborate it.

Archaeologists have found evidence that Indians lived along these shores for 3,000 years. The tribes in this area for generations back through the dim past placed their dead in the trees in canoes. But the trees had to be prepared to hold them. Branches of a forest tree normally reach straight upward, toward the light, but those on a burial tree were forced, when pliable, into a horizontal position beyond which they grew upward. Once the pattern was set, the tree might grow to a great size but always kept the shape, as did the Octopus Tree.

Burial trees (the oldest trees) for many years could be spotted here and there in the virgin forest. The Octopus Tree (which the Indians revered and called The CouncilTree) is more than 60 feet at its base. No one can tell its age without counting the rings. Some theorize it could have been a young tree at about the time of Christ. No matter what the actual age of the tree may be, a visit to the prehistoric tree of mystery is truly an enjoyable visit.

Scanned from snapshot,
Cropped
Increased contrast & mid-tones
Cloned overexposed areas,
resized
frames
sharpened
Luc, liquidsunshine, willie has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

Fascinating note, though the actual image is a little soft, especially on the top right for some reason.

Vey interesting composition, nice mood in this shot.
Well done.
TFS.

Nice composition Lori,
It's one of those trees you could look at for hours, excellent notes too.
Thanks for posting

Very strange looking tree Lori. Excellent notes. TFS

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