I told my friend Dirk and my daughter “Alison” that I was going to Bruges today in search of a gigantic tree stump.  I had walked by it a few weeks ago and was stunned by its size.  I’d guess that it would take five adults with their arms spread to encircle it.

Here’s what I imagined the top would look like:

Last week I sought my large friend in the park where I remembered it stood.  No luck, probably due to an insufficient memory.

So I tried another park today … a long one by the river.  I realized that I’d come to the city on a single mission:

Find the tree!

Beholding other beauties of Bruges would be fine … but I needed!  I wanted!  I had to have!

Ah yes … another fine period of obsession.

…

And so I walked the path, hoping that all would be revealed.

Nothing … nothing … and then …

Something

There to my right was the stump – except it wasn’t.  It was a fully grown tree.  Very fully.

And indeed, it would probably take five people to do the job:

I sat long and long on a nearby bench, watching the sun come and go on the bark.  I smiled to know that this dear tree was alive and well and tall.

I shall return for further conversations