A Big Tree Bath in Williamsburg!

Not only is the story of this town from 1699 to 1780 and the beginnings of a revolution to start a new country, but I’m also intrigued by the witnesses, or as they are more widely known, the trees. They witnessed all the events, both good and bad, from the 17th century to the present day (There are also quite a few of Witness Trees in Gettysburg, PA, from the Civil War battles there).

One giant tree made its home on the green of the Williamsburg Courthouse. The size of this Compton Oak is 70’ tall and 90’ wide. It’s bigger than my house, by far! However, it is not a witness, as I had thought, given the tree trunk's size. Nope, it was plucked from a marshy area in the Virginia Beach area in 1937 and replanted in Williamsburg, where it still stands proudly today - though not 250-ish years like I initially thought. When I woke up one morning while there, I told hubby Bill that I’d like to forest bathe under the huge tree for a spell. He knows the tree I was referring to, and I’m kooky like that. He probably rolled his eyes, but I was bound and determined to stand under the mighty canopy for at least a little while once we were back on the grounds.

My dream was short-lived. A young Williamsburg performer was on his day off, strolling down the street, and happened to see me under the tree. He waved Hello and said, “Can I help you?” Once he got closer, he realized I was examining and photographing the base of the tree. He politely asked me to move out of the area I was standing in, profusely apologizing that he shouldn’t be “working” on his day off by having me exit the area under the mighty extended branches.

My forest bathing efforts had come to a swift halt, though all in a positive way.

Once I came out to the road to meet up with Bill and Sean, the performer who was strolling down the road near the tree, Sean began to give us more history about the tree, what he does in Williamsburg, and how much he loves what he is doing by working in this iconic place in the world. He also apologized one more time for shooing me out from under the tree, to which we all took it in stride.

The next day, we visited Williamsburg and the College of William & Mary with "The Best Daughter" and Baby Bodie, and also enjoyed a delightful couple of hours perusing the many fabulous artists' booths in the Market Square called: An Occasion for the Arts. There had to be over 150 white tented booths with beautiful photography, paintings, prints, pottery, jewelry designs, furniture, and more. One booth caught me dead in my tracks - a rack of tree-printed sweater/sweatshirt material. I had to buy one since I love trees, and it commemorated my tree bathing with the Compton Oak.

bSoleille!

Terri