Rootworks

Day 182: Lest any of my readers think that when I'm out walking, my eyes are always keen toward the ends of the botanical spectrum (i.e., invasives or rarities), I have decided to present you with a bit of Nature's art today.

This cedar root was exposed when a road was put in, but at some point in the distant past, it had its origin as a tendril. A tiny thread of living material found a crack or a hole where some soil had gathered, established itself and grew, filling the space and exerting force against the surrounding rock. Ah, what force there is in growth! Unable to resist its influence, the rock yielded. It may have shifted or it may have cracked, but in any event, it gave the root more space. Indeed, this process continues to this day. If the root remains nourished and free from disease or the ravages of age, if it persists in pushing against the seemingly stronger rock, the crack will widen to accomodate it and in time, the rock will crumble.

It would be easy to stop here to draw a lesson, but of course in Nature, the fable doesn't end with the valiant and beautiful tree's victory over the confining, cruel rock. It too shall fall, perhaps due to destroying its own underpinnings or simply from outliving its usefulness in this scenario. That's Nature, and it's been working properly on this planet for over four billion years.