A Day To Show The Flag

July 4th is the most celebrated national holiday in North America. Much has been written, documented and  respected by every American schoolchild and adult.

History lessons tell us of the colonists who arrived from Europe to The New Country banded together for survival and, in time, began to resent the demanding ties to Europe.
This resentment grew when European authorities imposed a new tax on the imported tea, a commodity loved by all. Rebelling colonists decided to take action .

           
 The  Boston Tea Party  was a political protest by the Sons of Liberty in Boston, on December 16, 1773.  They boarded the ships and threw the chests of tea into Boston Harbor, ruining the tea. The British government responded harshly and the episode escalated into the American Revolution.
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 The Declaration of Independence is the usual name of  statements adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, which announced that the thirteen American colonies, then at war with Great Britain, regarded themselves as thirteen newly independent sovereign states, and no longer a part of the British Empire. Instead they formed a new nation—the United States of America.

The first official U.S. flag was created during battle on August 3, 1777 at Fort Schuyler  during the siege of the fort . Soldiers cut up their shirts to make the white stripes; scarlet material to form the red was secured from red flannel petticoats of officers' wives, while material for the blue union was secured from Capt. Abraham Swartwout's blue cloth coat.Although the Betsy

Ross legend is controversial, the design is among the earliest 13-star flags featuring a circle of stars of 5 points. The story credits Betsy Ross for sewing the first flag from a pencil sketch handed to her by George Washington, however no evidence for this exists.

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The design of the flag has been modified 26 times officially since 1777. At the time of the Declaration of Independence, the Continental Congress would not legally adopt flags with "stars, white in a blue field" for another year.

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First section arrives

The latest flag-raising activity has taken place in Eastern Wisconsin. Sheboygan-based Acuity Insurance company has raised  the tallest free-standing flagpole in North America, this being a  400-foot flagpole flying an American flag measuring 60 feet high by 120 feet long.
 This is the third attempt to build such a flag pole to accomodate such a large flag. Their  first flag-pole attempt was  erected in 2003, and was 150 feet tall. Later, it was extended to  200 feet, but winter lakewinds sent it to the ground.  The next attempt  was 300 feet, and again, replaced by a 338-foot pole. In April of 2008, it also was succeptable to the winds and was considered unsafe and dismantled. This newly constructed flag-pole has been built by a Manitowoc company known for wind-turbine towers and engineered for Wisconsin winds and winter temperatures.The pole is eleven feet in diameter at its base, and five feet in diameter at its end.

Each star is 3 feet high and each stripe is 4 1/2 feet long in this flag that weighs 300 pounds. Acuity employees took part in the dedication In April 2014, Acuity announced that this latest attempt at the nation’s largest flagpole was to be erected in time for the 2014 July fourth celebration.The flag was raised for the first time on May 22, 2014.
More than 1,000 people filled the Acuity parking lot to take in the pole’s dedication. Danny Gokey, an “American Idol” finalist from Milwaukee, sang the National Anthem.

President Reagan proclaimed 1986 the Year of the Flag. “The colors of our flag signify the qualities of the human spirit we Americans cherish,” Reagan said. “Red for courage and readiness to sacrifice; white for pure intentions and high ideals; and blue for vigilance and justice.”

Enjoy the celebrations and remember....

And The Games Begin!

                           It’s summertime! 
This year has been so strange that nothing can be taken for granted! Outdoor sports are underway and everyone has their favorite. Europeans  and Central Americans are in World Competition in their sport called ‘Football’, or, in the US, known as soccer. US spectators are more involved in Our National Pastime..baseball!

 Every batter is trying to hit anything the pitcher can throw at them . When too many batters are successful, the pitcher is replaced. Hitting the pitcher’s offering is of highest importance. The pitcher is somewhat like the king of the team while surrounded by his defenders and the opposition has to get to the king. 

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As youngsters, perhaps you played “King of the Hill” while trying to dislodge the King from the heights. When playing “Tag”, one might yell “ “King’s X!” and everyone would automatically stop for a breather until  “King’s X, over!” Where did we get this stuff? No adult was needed to teach that action! We have ‘Kings’ in our heritage. Our competitive games often include kings. Kings were, of course, extremely important people in our history. Competition for the kingly  title caused constant wars and the competition goes on. Wars continue, as do the games.

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There are some relatively unknown competitive games that have been popular  in Europe and now becoming practiced in America . Two Scandinavian events are finding great acceptance in our society.
   Kubb, a Swedish game  ( pronounced 'koob') is  fast-growing in popularity, coming from Scandinavia. Kubb is a lawn game where the object is simply  to knock over wooden blocks by throwing wooden batons at them.
The king is placed upright in the center of the ‘pitch’, and the ’kubbs’ are placed on the baselines while two teams take turns to knock down the defending warriors, or ‘kubbs’. This game is rapidly gaining popularity and easy to make. The kubbs are 4X4 inch woodblocks while the batons are  3 inch dowels about eight inches in length. The

main character, the King, is a larger kubb with a crown! Find a  fifteen yard long  field , some teammates and start the attack. Kubb is no-longer an unknown game!
The ultimate object of the game is to knock over the kubbs on the opposing side, and then knock the “king” over, before the opponent does.If a thrower successfully topples the king, his team has won the game. The game is easily learned.

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Tournaments in the U.S. have exploded since 2007, especially in the Midwest. In 2014, the U.S. tournament list includes over 20 tournaments, with the majority of them being held in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, and Illinois. In 2013, the U.S. Midwest Championship was re-introduced and annual tournaments will  travel throughout the Midwest. In 2013, it was located in Rockford, IL, and it will be held in Decorah, IA in 2014 and Madison, WI in 2015. 

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Eau Claire team in 2013 Nat.
 Semi-final kubb competition

On December 13, 2011, Eau Claire, Wisconsin declared itself to be the Kubb Capital of North America. The city has hosted the U.S. National Kubb Championship since 2007, and is home to “Kubbnation Magazine”, and  many kubb clubs and kubb leagues. In addition, kubb sets are in the local schools, with some schools having kubb units in physical education classes. There are also kubb clubs at some schools, including Eau Claire Memorial High School.

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Numerous tournaments are held throughout Europe (Sweden, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, The Netherlands, Czech Republic, Italy and more) and most countries have their own national championship tournament.

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Vennskap Lodge members of The Sons Of Norway in Sheboygan celebrated their annual

Summer Solstice by taking part in a game of kubb. First, instructors had a lively contest just by agreeing on the instructions!

A toppled King and a winning team.

But, someone has to lose!...

          

 Scandinavians enjoy competition, and this game brings out the true nature of  our heritage.

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 For those wishing a competitive game indoors  or  in the evening, the game of Kubb can be condensed to a board game given the tongue-twisting name of “Hnefatafl”.

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This Scandinavian  game (pronounced hef-ah-TAH-fel) is similar to chess with all pieces moving as rooks.  Invaders are trying to get to the other team’s King, but this time, the King has  a few tricks up his  sleeve, so the invading ‘Huns’ have to be clever. 

This game is considered to be over 1,000 years old and might have been played by the Vikings, and maybe even invented by a marauding group planning a raid. The Hun chief might have gathered his men, while drawing a square in the sand saying “Listen up, here’s  the plan. You twenty-four guys will split into groups of six on each side to kill that King.

They only have twelve guys, so we got them outnumbered and surrounded already! Their king is in the middle. Surround him.    If he gets to any corner, we lose the battle”.

 The battle begins and warriors are captured.

Two ancient Scandinavian warriors

Remember...It's just a game! It's just a game!

What's Happening in Norway?

Norwegians seem to be getting worried. What could possibly be going wrong? 

Norway maintains a welfare model with universal health care and a comprehensive social security system.The country has the fourth-highest per capita income in the world on the World Bank and is the world's largest producer of oil and natural gas outside the Middle East, from 2009 to 2012.  Today, Norway ranks among the richest countries in the world and the United Nations Development Program  has repeatedly declared this Scandinavian country to be the best country to live in. Norway’s health sector is financed through taxes and is supposed to be equally accessible by all residents, regardless of their income.  Percent Insured? 100%. All Norwegian citizens and residents are covered! Plus, education is free. So. what can be the problem, Ole? Perhaps, life has been too good? Visitors find Norway to be a very expensive country.

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   Stavanger has now joined Oslo in the dubious honor of being among the world’s most expensive cities, which makes it also the most vulnerable city in Norway if real estate prices drop.Houses are so expensive, people can’t afford to buy. Changes ahead?
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 Other Scandinavian countries have a variety of export production.Swedish exports have decreased seven percent in the past year, yet they are doing well. The economy of Sweden is a export-oriented, diverse economy aided by timber, hydropower, and iron ore, and this is the base of
 

    an  economy oriented toward foreign trade. The main industries include motor vehicles, telecommunications, pharmaceuticals, industrial machines, precision equipment, chemical goods, home goods and appliances, forestry, iron, and steel. Iron ore and timber constitute the resource base of their economy heavily oriented toward foreign trade

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  “Timber is nearly always available in Finland, which is something you cannot say of all foreign operators,” states Marko Saarelainen, President of Honka Japan, a subsidiary of a  log house manufacturer cooperation, Japan is the single most important buyer country. Japan appreciates wood as a construction material.Their earthquake risk means that Japan has strict strength requirements for structures and joints. These can be met by wooden

Finland's  forestland

constructions.Japanese companies have tested the stability of their log houses during earthquakes. The results were so good that their safety is not questioned. “A log house does not collapse,” according to Saarelainen . Forests play a key role in Finland's economy, making it one of the world's leading wood producers and providing raw materials at competitive prices for the crucial wood-processing industries. Diversification and a wide range of products protects Finland’s export market.

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Much like Norway, Denmark has a broad-reaching welfare system, which ensures that all Danes receive tax-funded health care and unemployment insurance which might account for  Denmark having had the world's highest tax level in 2005 and 2006, at 50.7% and 49.1% respectively, holding this position through 1970-74 and 1993-95.Denmark is home to various types of agricultural production and fur animals – primarily mink, all sectors with a major export.
   The United States is Denmark's largest non-European trading partner, accounting for about 7% of total Danish merchandise trade. Among major Danish exports to the United States are industrial machinery, chemical products, furniture, pharmaceuticals, canned ham and pork, windmills, and the famous and for entertainment, the
popular  plastic toy blocks...The Lego!

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A Danish off-shore wind farm

  Denmark is a long time leader in wind energy and a prominent exporter of wind turbines. There is also a  focus on intelligent battery systems  and plug-in vehicles in the transport sector.This modern market economy features high-tech agriculture, up-to-date small-scale and corporate industry, extensive government welfare measures, comfortable living standards, and high dependence on foreign trade. Not only that, Denmark has considerable sources of oil and natural gas in the North Sea and ranks as number 32 in the world among net exporters of crude oil. Scandinavian exports seem o be well-rounded and doing well. Nothing to worry about.

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A Norway North Sea oil-drilling site

In comparison, Norway maintains a highly regarded standard of living, but  seems to have the smallest variety of export goods while holding claim to be one of the largest oil and petroleum exporting areas. This blessing appears to be a future problem. There has been concern that much of Norway's human capital investment has been concentrated parimarily in petroleum-related industries.Because of the oil boom since the 1970s, there has been little extensive government incentive to help develop and encourage new industries in the private sector, in contrast to other Nordic countries like Sweden and particularly Finland.

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  Norway has not experienced a recession since 1990. From 2004 to 2007, their economy expanded mainly due to high oil prices. Norwegian house prices have dropped 5 percent since August as the market retreats from a half-decade-long real-estate boom. Nordea Bank, the largest Nordic lender, warns that Norway’s housing market may sink as much as 20 percent over the next two years. The oil industry may be a big part of the problem.Norway has always depended on the oil industry to support their country’s high living standards and oil exports are Norway’s most important export. Norway does not have an alternative export product of offset the loss of the oil market.

 If the demand for Norway’s oil decreases, what else can be the chief export?

Lutefisk?

Norway had the foresight to put aside a massive $860 billion rainy-day cash pile, or $170,000 per man,

woman and child. It also has huge budget surpluses, a top-notch AAA credit rating and low unemployment. The outlook for the present time  is fine, but costs have soared, non-oil exporters are struggling, the government is spending $20 billion more oil money this year than in 2007 on  their generous welfare and education  system. This  depends on a steady flow of oil tax revenue and  may not be preparing Norwegians for tougher times.

Handelsbanken economist Knut Anton Mork has commented that Norway must act if it is to avoid decline.
“The oil boom has ended,” Mork said. “Norway needs to rebalance to a more sustainable level, which can be done either through a nominal depreciation or through an internal devaluation of wages.

The " rainy day oil-cash pile" is being used to fuel  the benefits enjoyed by all Norwegians and these funds will slowly be reduced if not replaced by an alternative money source .

Time to plan for the future.

What's Cooking?

Sooner or later, the weather will settle down to a point when people will be getting outside. Vacations will be organized and people are anxious to shake the winter blahs. It’s time to take a trip. Things are warming up in the Scandinavian country.

 Where can we go to sample some “Old-country” experiences? What do they eat there? Menus in a “foreign language” can be an adventure.Sometimes, it’s good to know what to avoid when you travel!
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One place of interest is the famous business" Ikea". Everyone knows that’s the place to see the latest  modern furniture and houseware.I just found out that they serve food as well! While you’re at the store, take some time to relax  in the Ikea restaurant for a quick snack or stay for a leisurely breakfast, lunch or dinner – the whole family is welcome. For the little ones, there’s  highchairs, changing areas and a play area, plus FREE organic baby food with any purchase. Among the Swedish-style dishes and local specials on the menu, you’ll find healthy organic and vegetarian options, so everyone leaves satisfied.  Here’s a deal: Purchase your meal in the restaurant and you will receive a coupon with your receipt.When you finish shopping, just give your coupon and receipt to the check-out cashier and receive the total amount of your meal deducted from your purchase of over $100!.

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 Due to environmental concerns, the

Swedish furniture giant  is planning to put vegetarian meatballs on the menu in an attempt to cut down on its "carbon footprint".

Customers who flock to the Ikea stores consume 150 million meatballs between their various stores each year, and the company's head of sustainability in the UK said the beef and pork content of its existing meatballs make them rather carbon intensive, and changes are in the planning. The Ikea meatball recipe has been tweaked!.
 In 2013, Ikea temporarily pulled meatballs off the menu after it was revealed they contained traces of horsemeat. Following an investigation, the popular Swedish mealtime favorite was returned to its restaurants.“We had people begging us to put them back on the menu whatever was in them," said Yarrow. Apparently, the horsemeat appealed to some diners!
Food experts  continue tweaking the recipe of its existing meatballs, and that a chicken meatball and a vegetarian alternative would be available for hungry customers in 2015.
In the meantime the company will continue selling its regular meatballs but stated they were striving to introduce lower carbon alternatives for the future.

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So, what’s expected, as different countries have different tastes?National dishes are part of a nation's identity and self-image.During the age of European empire-building, nations would develop a national cuisine to distinguish themselves from their rivals.Traditional food of Norway draws heavily on the natural resources of 

Norway and the  Scandinavian region. Surrounded by water, Scandinavian cuisine includes lots of seafood. Popular traditional Norwegian seafood meals include Fiskesuppe (fish soup), Røkt Laks (smoked salmon), Sild (pickled herring) and Gravlaks, consisting of salmon fillets marinated in a dill mixture and served with  mustard sauce.The largest Norwegian food export (in fact the main Norwegian export of any kind for most of the country's history) in the past has been stockfish ("tørrfisk" in Norwegian). The Atlantic cod variety known as

Racks of stockfish drying

'skrei' because of its migrating habits, has been a source of wealth for years, fished annually in what is known as the 'Lofotfiske' after the island chain of 'Lofoten'. Stockfish has been a staple food internationally for centuries.For meateaters: lamb's meat and mutton is very popular in autumn, mainly used in fårikål (mutton stew) with cabbage.

And of course, everyone’s favorite..Lutefisk, right? Maybe not..

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Norway has excellent cheeses, but be careful around" Gamalost...Gamalost translates as "old

cheese", a traditional Norwegian cheese. To make Gamalost", lactic starter is added to skimmed cow's milk, causing it to sour. After several days of souring,  mold is  rubbed on by hand  and then allowed to cure for four to five weeks.Literally translated, it means "old cheese." Through the years, its  been named "stinky cheese"  among other adjectives.  It has been claimed that a cook in a Norwegian family brought some home for a meal,but it stunk so badly that she couldn't even leave it in the trash--she had to bury it in the back yard.

 If you buy it for a friend, Don’t forget it in the trunk of your car!

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                                    And, what's cooking in Sweden?...................
 Historically, in the far North, meats such as reindeer, and other
game dishes were eaten, some of which have their roots in the Sami culture. Many traditional dishes are usually simple, contrasting flavors, such as the traditional dish of meatballs and brown cream sauce with  lingonberry jam (similar in taste to cranberry sauce).Sweden's long winters explain the lack of fresh vegetables in many traditional recipes. In older times, plants that would sustain the population through the winters were staples such as turnips , kålrot (rutabaga)  and , later, potatoes in the 18th century.Breakfast usually consists of open sandwiches,

Sometimes, you better ask..

“What is this bludpudding?”Blodpudding is a black pudding .Blodkorv Blood sausage made of pig's blood. Other than pig blood, the ingredients include flour, pork, raisins and spices.The Swedish name literally means "blood pudding". Sweetened and spiced, it is eaten with lingonberry jam, and sometimes bacon.

Knäckebrod

possibly crisp bread (knäckebröd) most often buttered, with toppings such as hard cheese, cold cuts, caviar, messmör (a sweet spread made from butter and whey), ham (skinka), and tomatoes or cucumber. But, again, ask..
World travellers have to make some choices of  local tastes. Adventerous tourist-diners may point to the menu saying “ I’ll try this. Whatever, it is”. Good luck.

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As in Norway, Swedish food is fairly plain. They don’t cook with a lot of spice.There are too many to mention, but everyone knows about Swedish meatballs!  Happy dining!

When driving through Denmark, check out the sandwiches!

 Denmark's  open -faced sandwiches are excellent. Back in “the old days” Denmark was primarily a nation

of farmers and fishermen and the Danish food traditions still reflect a culture of hard working people who need  food that provides high levels of energy and nutrition. You must try  Danish “sild!”. That’s herring and
pronounced “seel”.
Danes have a saying, that “the herring needs the snaps to be able to swim!” And “you can’t have just one snaps, you need two; one for each leg.” Snaps is a Danish and Swedish word for a small shot of a strong alcoholic beverage taken during the course of a meal.In Denmark, snaps will always be akvavit.
When all the herring and other type of fish has been enjoyed, the next course is the open-faced sandwiches. Danes have turned these lunches into a real art form with a huge variety of food using dark rye bread, cold butter and a selection of cold cuts topped with dressings, vegetables and herbs. The open sandwiches, known as smørrebrød, the usual fare for lunch, can be considered a national speciality. It was based on the need to make use of natural products available on the family farm or in the neighborhood. In 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2014 the Copenhagen restaurant "Noma" (short for nordisk mad - Nordic food) was named the world's best restaurant by The Restaurant magazine.

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Denmark has a long tradition of fishing, since it is surrounded by the sea, but again, Denmark is known for good cheeses. Their strong cheese is Gamle Ole ("Old Ole"- Ole is a man's name), a brand of  cheese that has matured for a long period of time. It can be bitingly strong. It is often served in combination with sliced onion on Danish rugbrød spread with lard.One might also refer to Gamle Ole's pungency when talking about things that are not quite right, i.e. "they stink". Again, Denmark has something in common with Norway!

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  For those of you who have enjoyed a Finnish sauna and are looking for something to eat...

Sauteed Reindeer

 The country's harsh climate is tough on vegetable production. In the past, fresh fruit and vegetables were largely unavailable for nine months of the year, and this led to a heavy reliance on things like turnip and potatoes.,  Forests and lakes are major food-sources, providing long traditions of hunting and fishing in Finland, as hunters focused on deer, moose and bear. Approximately 70,000-80,000 moose are culled yearly, producing significant amounts of meat.  Moose meat is mainly consumed within households, while Finnish restaurants are accustomed to serving reindeer dishes.

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 In the summer and fall, it is still quite common to go picking berries

straight from the forests. Wild raspberries, bilberries and lingonberries (cowberries) are found in almost every part of Finland. Every country has it’s traditional food and drink.

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 There are WAY too many to mention for each country and I'm getting hungry!.

 Enjoy, but read the menu carefully. You never know what’s cooking!

Only God Can Make....

It must be Spring!

Now that the sun is warming up the ground, trees will soon be full of buds and blossoms. Maples will be seen with pails hanging as the sap is collected and turned into maple syrup and sugar. All those bare-looking trees will soon be fully functional once again. Fully-loaded logging trucks will again be seen on the highways.

Charcoal ovens used in 1876

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Nowadays, steel and concrete are the predominant materials used to construct tall buildings and long-span bridges, but wood is still used as a major material in houses, smaller buildings, for decorative purposes and furniture. It is also a raw material for pulp-based products such as paper. Although wood is, in many cases, replaced by stronger and lighter materials, it is still in great demand. Earlier day pioneers used trees for their cabins and wood was essential for winter survival.Later the  iron industry began in forested areas since trees were necessary to create charcoal, the fuel used in ovens for steel smelting. This created a large demand for cut trees. At this time, the loss of trees has created environmental problems.

                                       Wood is currently being used in high demand for furniture.

Ikea, which made global profits of £2.7billion last year, is believed to use around one per cent of the world's wood supply.
Scandinavian giant Ikea has had a forestry stewardship certificate suspended after it was revealed the furniture chain has been cutting 600-year-old trees from protected woodlands.
The Forest Stewardship Council, which promotes the responsible management of the world's woodlands, says the wood Ikea cuts from forests in Karelia, Russia isn't being harvested sustainably.
"Swedwood", the Swedish firm's forestry subsidiary, has been refused certification by the international not for-profit organisation for its Karelia operation until action is taken.

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Is Ikea cutting down 600-year-old trees to use for  furniture?
A majority of these forest-cutting rules have already been corrected as an Ikea spokesperson has stated:
'We take our responsibility for the forests and the people who work there very seriously and we appreciate that correcting the deviations will improve the way we manage the forest in Karelia".

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Trees have been in the news since the beginning of time. Adam and Eve were warned not to have anything to do with a tree. When they didn’t listen, they got into a lot of trouble

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 Scandinavian history includes a very special tree. In Sweden. it’s called a Värdträd, and in Norway a Tuntre: a sacred tree planted in the center of the yard on a family farm. The caring for the tree demonstrates respect for ancestors. Spirits are believed to reside in the tree and is a moral reminder of caring for the farm or place where one lives. Older Norwegians believed that the tuntre provided a direct connection with the nature spirits that lived underground at his farm. This tree would protect the family and create happiness and success. A damaged tree could result in illness and misfortune for those who lived on the farm. The tree was also a protection  in storms. The lightning would rather choose the high tree than the low-lying house.

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This tradition of sacred trees in Scandinavia goes back to the pre-Christian Viking Age. However, younger Scandinavians are no longer aware of this tradition and in another generation, many of these beliefs and the trees themselves may disappear.

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Yggdrasil is The Scandinavian World Tree

Yggdrasil (EEG-draw-sill)

According to Norse myths, the end of Asgard, the world of the gods and home to Odin and Thor, is brought about by the death of Yggdrasil, the great ash tree of life and wisdom. From this tree, Odin hung upside down for  nine days and losing the sight of one of his eyes in exchange for the wisdom of the runes, and intuition of the goddesses.

The myth goes on:

Icelandic historian, poet, and politician Snorri Sturluson, who wrote the prose "Edda": around the year 1200, wrote about this mystical tree.This was his story:

“In the middle of Asgard where the gods lives, is Yggdrasil, the tree of life. This eternal green ash tree has branches stretching out over all of the nine worlds extending up and above the heavens.
At the very top of Yggdrasil, there lives an eagle and down by the roots of the tree lives a dragon named Nidhug. The eagle and the dragon are bitter enemies and they truly despise each other. A squirrel named Ratatosk is spending a lot of time each day, running up and down the tree. Ratatosk does whatever he can  to keep the hatred between the eagle and Nidhug alive.”

       (Squirrels never change!)

The Scandinavian mountainous terrain is often surrounded by deep valleys and it is only in these valleys that any trees are found. From these main valley systems, there are numerous side valleys. These side valleys are virtually the only area for forests that  have provided building materials and fuel for centuries. Around 600m altitude, these forests give way to the mountain birch
woods which grow up to 800m.  Scandinavian forests do not contain a wealth of species. The reason for this is the northerly location, plus the fact that after the glacial period, the sea forced most of the species to cease reproduction in Scandinavia, except for Denmark.

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Here, in the USA, we are accustomed to large forests, however much of the virgin trees have been removed. Only in selected areas has  “tree-history” been so important that “Old Trees” are now protected.
                                                     How old is “old”?

Our famous “Redwoods”grow in a very narrow strip along the coast of California from the extreme southwestern corner of Oregon to 150 miles south of San Francisco in the Soda Springs drainage of Big Sur.  Redwoods do not grow naturally beyond this belt. A redwood is a rapidly growing tree, and some individual trees have been measured at more than 360 feet in height, making it the tallest measured tree species on the earth. Exceptional individuals sometimes reach a height of 350 feet, and an age of approximately 2000 years.
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The famous Sequoia Washington

In California’s Sequoia Camp-Kings Canyon National Park, visitors can view the Sequoias,  a genus of the redwood coniferous tree. One of these huge, old and protected trees is one called Washington...
a popular tourist attraction. Research of 2002 has shown that its age is about 2,850 (+/- 300) years. Another Sequoia named Methuselah has been dated to be 4,845 yrs-old!

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          However, these trees are youngsters compared to a Swedish tree. The world's oldest recorded tree is a 9,550 year-old spruce in the Dalarna province of Sweden. Spruce trees have proved to be a tenacious survivor that has endured by growing between other trees and smaller bushes, keeping pace with the dramatic climate changes over time.

  A 9,550 year-old spruce in the Dalarna province of Sweden

 The visible portion of this 13-foot-tall  tree isn't ancient, but its root system has been growing for 9,550 years, according to a team led by Leif Kullman, professor at Umeå University's department of ecology and environmental science in Sweden. The spruce's stems or trunks have a lifespan of around 600 years, "but as soon as a stem dies, a new one emerges from the same root stock," Kullman explained. "So the tree has a very long life expectancy." Trees much older than 9,550 years would be impossible in Sweden, because ice sheets covered the country until the end of the last Ice Age around 11,000 years ago, Kullman noted.

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While the demand for wood continues in our present time, we should feel fortunate for reforestration practises. However, our industrial pollution and climactic changes will more than likely add further stress to our atmosphere. We have marvelled at photos of the historic " trees of our pioneer days." Their  future?..

Hopefully, we will
continue to nourish our woodlands for our coming generations.