Monday, October 04, 2010

Clue #6: Go climb a tree



Our guide appeared in the branches of this two-thousand-year-old Baobab tree . . . and then challenged us to climb it, too. 





"It's easy!" he said.  "There's a little ladder in the back."  Sure there is . . . 


I volunteered to try anyway.  Anything for The Children, right?









Sometimes called "upside down tree" because its canopy looks like roots, this giant succulent stores water in its trunk to help it survive long periods without rain.  During the dry season, many trees endure damage as certain very large mammals scrape off bark to eat.  Fortunately for the Baobab, it has the remarkable ability to heal itself with a new layer of bark and continue growing.




 










People weave the Baobab's fibers into baskets like the tan and black one behind Fluffy in this photo. 


Previous Clues:

2 comments:

  1. The fluffy that went with us to Scotland was more tan. Is this a cousin or is he aging?

    Grace A

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  2. This is the same Fluffy. He's a little gray around the edges after so much adventurous life experience. I considered retiring him in exchange for a "new Fluffy," but a few wise ones raised concerns that this would send the wrong message about aging.

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