We like our ghost stories here at tom-mcgee.com world headquarters. Ever since college we’ve never missed the opportunity to share a ghastly rumor or three about someplace we’ve been. Maplewood’s not nearly haunted enough, so Weird NJ sometimes comes to the rescue.
Out in Basking Ridge, turns out that there’s a tree with an evil tale surrounding it. So we hopped in the family sedan and went out to take some pictures of it.
The first thing you notice is that on a bright sunny day it’s not nearly as creepy as the photos on Weird NJ. The real thing is in color, for one.
Notwithstanding that, it’s creepy enough. Note the chain link fence wrapped around it:
Half the tree is dead, and legend has it that bad things befall anyone who tries to cut it down. Nevertheless (this being New Jersey and all) it shows signs of frequent attempts on its life. There are wide chainsaw marks, and a substantial portion of it is charred from a fire. The cyclone fence is padlocked in place, but that just makes it a litter magnet.
It’s part of a park, with a little trail running off through the low scrub and grass. With my 200mm lens in place, I found this butterfly in a highly cooperative frame of mind:
That color-coordinated plant it’s on is called butterfly weed.
I know, it’s not creepy or devilish at all. I just liked the pictures and was glad to be able to get them without even a real macro lens. Made me feel like I should be shooting for nature magazines!