This was such a fun photograph to take. Cheryl brought this to my attention well over a year ago after I had completed some branch trimming. The past year or so has made the facial image even more real than before so she directed my attention to the tree again.

The tree is a mature, but not old, Pin Oak. Over the years I have pruned the lower branches as an act of survival or I would have been decapitated while mowing the lawn under its umbrella of tough twigs and branches which seem to bend toward the earth at an ever-increasing rate. I suspect healthy growth and gravity are the culprits. Good for the tree…bad for the man.

The result you see was not intentional. However, I believe I created something akin to the apple trees in the movie, The Wizard of Oz. Dorothy, Toto, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man and the Lion all needed to pause for a refreshing break while on their way to the magical city of Oz for some much needed help. As soon as the nearby apple trees were located while in the enchanted forest, Dorothy plucked an apple from one of them (which looked very similar to this guy). The tree asked her how would she like having an apple plucked from her and then began throwing apples at the group. They hurriedly moved on!

It is a good thing Pin Oaks don’t grow apples. However, they do grow many pin oak nuts which the squirrels love to eat. Perhaps that is why I always see the squirrels scurrying past this tree at a faster rate than any other! They may have had a knock or two on their heads!