Thursday, July 31, 2014

Roots

The largest of majestic trees have their beginnings in simple spots. They look innocent enough, but if you've ever tried to remove a small tree or bush, I don't have to tell you that roots run deep. What looks to be a quick job can run you hours. They can wear quite a disguise too. These pictured look dead, but are very much alive and kicking. I'm not a big genealogy guy. I haven't ever done any research on my family tree. Others in the family have done some preliminary research, and I've taken a glancing look. I know where my family roots lie. My grandparents, on my mother's side, traveled from Prince Edward Island in the early 1900s. My Dad's grandparents can be traced to Spital in Ireland. My brother, Marchin, has been to both places and has met family members in Canada and spent time in pubs in Spital.
I'm intrigued by both places.
Perhaps someday visits.
Do you have interest in geneology?
What's the draw?

19 comments:

  1. i don't, actually. i don't even keep up enough with my siblings much less digging into family history.

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  2. Not much into genealogy, but you comments brought back memories of a stump I had to cut out at a former residence. Friends and neighbors referred to it as my hole to China. :-)

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  3. Glancing at the thumbnail, I thought you'd posted a nest of dry bones. Dem bones, dem bones, dem dry bones.

    Yup, I've done the DNA thing at Family Tree, and have found all kinds of relatives all over the world. Surprised the heck out of me. But great fun!

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  4. My dad's family came from Bocholt Germany and back in the 80's on my very first trip to Europe I visited there. I was very taken with how much the city looked like the city I grew up in in Illinois. Kind of like his grandparents chose Quincy because it looked like home.

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  5. I'm not big into my family tree, although I have an uncle who claims he can prove one side of the family dates back to the Mayflower. Personally, I doubt it. ;))

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  6. I know what you mean about the tree thing Birdman, we've struggled with many a tough customer over the years :) not so interested in geneology.. although I would like to find out if I have any French connections and as I'm a Scot its possible oui :)

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  7. Did you know that the largest living organism on this planet is a tree? An Aspen tree to be exact. They push roots out along the ground and from those roots grow genetically identical trees connected to the "mother" tree. A whole grove of Aspen trees is often a single individual, and can cover a square mile or more. Yes, genealogy can be interesting, but self absorbing. Some of those ancestors can be down right odd, but then I'm just speaking about myself.

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  8. Thanks for that aspen update. Did not know that. I do now.
    btw How's your aspen? hehehehehehe

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  9. Yes, do go visit those places!
    .I first was awe-struck by tree roots on Monhegan Island in the Fairy Woods...
    I don't know much about geneology but I hope to visit, one more time, the country of origin of my parents...

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  10. Cousins on both sides of the family have traced things back pretty far. You must visit PEI one day - it is a gorgeous place.

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  11. I love tree roots. Even and maybe mostly when they show through the pavement as they do in V.

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  12. I almost took an identical pic yesterday of exposed tree roots! And geneology, yah, it intrigues me. . . but I leave it to my siblings and cousins to trace it . . .

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  13. Beautiful patterns in these roots.

    My family's mostly Dutch- we can trace back deep into the 19th century, but there it pretty much stops.

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  14. I am the kind of guy who looks forward, not backward.

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  15. I like reading research on my family that other people have done but I have no interest in chasing it down myself. From what I do know it seems lives are messy. My ancestors came over Denmark and then one went back just in time for World War II. That move didn't work out very well for her.

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    1. Geneology is fun and fascinating. I have a small trunk full of research that I did in the past -- all in draft stages. I work on it occasionally but it is not all consuming to me like it is for the dedicated geneologist. -- barbara.

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  16. I have a slight interest but the research sees too daunting.l Perhaps the present generation holds enough interest for me.

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