We were set up at a rendezvous last week in Galesburg, IL, and came upon this bur oak. Had to get some pics yesterday when we packed out. They're dying in the park there. This one will be gone someday too.













https://www.knox.edu/news/fallen-oak-tree-teaches-history-lessons

Lotta BTU' s there

Magnificent tree

Wow, that's a big one. Its a shame to see those massive oaks dying off. I have three of them on the hill across the creek, sure hope they last a while.

I bet there was some nice shade under there during the rendezvous.

great pic thanks for sharing ,what's killing them

I love those types of big old trees .The have been through all kinds of weather and stood the test of time .They could tell a thousand stories of what has happen in their life time Great picture

There was a large ash tree about thirty yards west of us that provided late afternoon shade. In one year's time it lost most of it's leaves. Small cell came through one morning and a dead limb fell through this fly.

Those dead ash trees don't stay together at all. We've cut quite a few down that posed threats and I won't set up anything anywhere near them. Sure hope they can fix that fly, replacing it would be pricey.

I believe Jim took it home with him to fix. They do great work and stand behind all their tentage

Unfortunately, the limb took out two panels.

http://www.springvalleylodges.com/svl/

Which side were you on in the fight? I live about 20 miles north of there on I 74. Wanted to go, but got tied up chasing bats.

I've had my spring valley wall tent and fly for almost 20 years. Been through a lot of weather and yes, they are great to work with.

We're set up as traders. The civil war folks are east of us, the rondy is close to the beach and spreads to the east near the civil war encampment. We "live" in a 17x17 marquee and have recently acquired an older Spring Valley 13x17 marquee to trade out of.



and "home" for awhile

That is a big one Mike, the only one I know of that could rival it is on Hatchery Road here in Sauk County.
We unfortunately had to cut one down that was near that size on a project in West Baraboo, that guy went a little over five and a half feet across the stump.
I am a tree guy, as a land surveyor there is no greater joy than to find an original bearing tree and realize you are standing in the footprints of
the original surveyor from the 1840's.

Zim

Nice setup, Muskrat, That's a ton to load and unload for a weekend.

Your guard dog looks bored, tired and/or hot.

I hear the oaks are getting some kind of wilt that is killing them. I had a 25 year old red old die this year in my yard. I hope the other 2 don’t get the wilt.

Not too prudent to set up a camp under a big tree like that.
Like setting up by a lightening rod.

Well, I learned something new today. Original bearing tree. Very interesting Zim. Thanks!

http://www.kleinschmidtsurveying.com/blog/original-bearing-trees

A fellow was doing tree ring growth vs climate change in Manitoba and I collected many a sample for him . We came across a 5 foot diameter Burr oak tree and thought we found the Holy Grail of trees. As Zim says a "Original Bearing Tree" it even shows up in some early WW1 air photos that they developed....it was near a military rifle range and air field in Winnipeg. Under the tree you can see a little house with a Cresent moon on the door and a summer cottage 150 feet way to the side. It was on Winchester, or Sharpe Street. anyways as we went throught the rings you could see the growth accelerated in 1840 and slowed down in 1960. Before 1840 that area was just outside of the Red River settlement boundary's and you could trade with people coming in from out west and someone settled there and in 1960 they put in sewer and water lines so then every thing came into perspective. It got watered and fertilized every night. Ironically the tree was used as one of the spots where they used trap nets to catch Passenger pigeons on the ground under it when they came for acorns in the fall and they put them down pickling into barrels for winter consumption. Two birds that were mounted specimens in the Museum of Man and Nature probably came from there.

Two lined chestnut borer insect is what is attacking our Burr oak in Manitoba

That is one cool old oak tree.

Zim, we have an original witness tree in Roscommon, a village in the n.e. corner of our county. It was used by Wm. S. Burt back in 1852 when the first survey was done in this county. To look at the tree you'd swear it wasn't anywhere near that old, because I doubt it is even 24 inches across, but it must have been fairly decent sized when Mr. Burt used it 167 years ago.

Burr oak may well be my favorite tree. The massive branching structure and the dark green leaves are what stands out to me the most.