THE 30,000 FOOT VIEW

From the plane I am looking down over south Georgia. It is a jewel-like landscape, a carpet of deep green with countless lakes, rivers and creeks glittering in the slanting evening sunshine. I am on the way home to Australia, a twenty-two-hour journey that will take me to the other side of the world and across the equator to summer in the Southern Hemisphere.

After farewelling Greg and Ken who had to drive to Atlanta, for most of the morning Gary, John, Mark, and I sat around talking. The conversation was of the “how about when...” and “did you see…” variety. Certain people cropped up in the conversation all the time: Charles and Catherine Rice who made it all possible and enjoyed the adventure as much as any of us; Stanley Houston, the kindest of men; Jim Carver and his crew of workers who helped remove the tree. One name mentioned more than most was Steve Cross. In many ways Steve represents the best of the BBTP. He was always happy, always enjoyed the company of others, and took the greatest delight in everything that we did. He and his saw, that Mark described as “a giant robotic dinosaur,” were prime players in the adventure.


(left to right) Ken Browne, Terry Martin, Mark Lindquist, Greg Andracke with Terry's bowl made from Persimmon wood.  Photo: John McFadden

Gary summed up very well how we all felt at the start: “At first it all seemed a bit surreal, but we hit the ground running. That bridge set the tone for the whole project. When we got there we only talked for about 15 minutes and then everybody got to work.”

Mark agreed: “I knew that a quick project like that would bring the team together. That bridge was kind of symbolic for the whole project, all working together to cross obstacles. Even the rain was a challenge at the start, but it was as if all the doubts disappeared when the bridge was laid, the sun came out and the skies cleared. It was absolutely phenomenal.”
 
It occurred to me to ask what will happen to the bridge.

“Everybody in Blakely wanted us to leave it there,” said Mark, “but it doesn’t really meet the required standards. Since everyone seemed to be so enthralled with it, we decided to keep it, just in case it can be incorporated into the Project in the future.”

I can’t help hoping that we all get to stand on the bridge again somewhere.


Terry Martin on the bridge, Blakely, Georgia.  Photo: John McFadden

“I really enjoyed working with all those guys in Blakely,” said Gary. “They took their job seriously and they were extremely good at what they did. Being in a place like that kind of restores your faith in American people. So many times it seems like all we get is bad news, but when you get there into the heartland of America, these are real people.”

The feeling appeared to be mutual. I remember how, on the first day we were at Steve’s mill, a woman approached us while we were eating at a restaurant in Colquitt, some miles from Blakely.

“Excuse me,” she said, “but are y’all the folks makin’ the movie over at Blakely?”
“That’s right,” said Mark.

“Well,’ she said, “I just want to tell y’all how much we appreciate what you’re doin’. It’s a fine thing and it will mean so much to us around here.”


The Rice Family at the site, Blakely Burl Tree Project.  Photo: John McFadden

As I look down on the unfolding landscape my thoughts return to the unlikely series of coincidences that led to the Blakely Burl Tree Project—the amazing tree, its location on the site of J.B. Rice's shop, Charles' and Catherine's plans for the land and their role in the community, the realization of the rare and special nature of the tree, the seemingly chance meetings that brought Stanley, Steve, and Mark together, and on and on. But I also think that these things would have amounted to nothing if people had not been open to the idea of doing something special. Shakespeare famously wrote, "All things are ready if our minds be so."


Looking down on the Blakely Burl Tree Project site, pre-harvest.  Photo: Mark Lindquist

The Blakely Burl Tree can be a unique focus for the creative energies of so many people, both in Blakely and around the world. I like to think of the bright young students I met at the Blakely High School. If the simple process of cutting down the tree has been so stimulating, how exciting will the rest of the project be! When I was in Blakely, few of the people I met had ever been out of Georgia, so the BBTP is going to open up a wonderful new view of the world for them. I was delighted by the way people responded to having an Australian there. I can’t begin to imagine how much they will enjoy the inevitable visits from other foreign lands when the Blakely Burl Tree Museum opens.

My eyes close and I dream of the big lumpy tree and people smiling when they say,

 “Y’all come back now y’hear?”


Steve Cross (left), Linda Houston, Stanley Houston at the beginnings of the Blakely Burl Tree Project.  Photo: Mark Lindquist