In 1914 a man chained his bike to this tree

[Bullfrog]

Then he went off to war and never returned...

 

[j.w]

Is that weird or what? I know trees will grow around items embedded in them but that's crazy!

 

[taherrmann4]

That is a cool pic, but I am not sure if it was photo shopped or not. Where are the pedals on the one side of the bike you should still be able to see them unless someone stole them. Also why is the bike in the air, did the soldier tie it up that high on the tree, and lastly that is an awfully small bike for a soldier.

 

[fishin4cars]

It is a cool pic! But I'm with Todd, I think at some point that was staged, either photoshop or someone intentionally set it where it would grow around the bike. But I like Bullfrogs post better, It makes you think about those that left to fight for our freedom that didn't return.

 

[CometKeith]

The picture makes you think but... it looks like a 1940's bike that was sawed in half and stuck in a tree. Also it doesn't go up as the tree grows so obviously this was staged. There is still one living veteran at 110 years old from that conflict. See article below about tree growth;

Trees grow in height as a result of meristems that are located at their branch tips. These meristems are called apical meristems. Roots also expand through the soil by growing at their tips as a result of apical meristems. All buds that you see on a tree contain apical meristems. Trunk diameter growth occurs as a result of another meristem already mentioned called the vascular cambium. The vascular cambium produces new xylem and phloem each year and as a result the trunk, branches and roots continue to increase in diameter. Have you ever seen a fence wire or board grown into a tree?​

That is the result of the vascular cambium. The fence wire or board doesn't rise into the air because height growth doesn't occur out of the ground, it only occurs from the branch tips.​

 

[j.w]

Wow this has turned into a real lesson in learning about how trees grow...........makes ya think..............and that's a good thing! I too was wondering about how that bike got up so high cuz knew trees grew by adding upward stems and then also just get wider.

 

[Bullfrog]

I didn't research it, just forwarded it because I thought it was a cool picture.

 

[j.w]

Cool and clever it was.................how do these peeps think of these things to make into photo's...................guess they get a good laugh out of trying to fool us,lol! Photoshop is getting the best of us at times I'm thinking!

 

[mogsie]

i wonder if i sit there long enough if the tree would grow around me !! good excuse to get me out of doing housework i think ! hmmm

 

[taherrmann4]

i wonder if i sit there long enough if the tree would grow around me !! good excuse to get me out of doing housework i think ! hmmm

Like if Rip Van Winkle would have leaned against a tree when he slept for 20 years... The story goes that he went into the woods to escape his nagging wife...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rip_Van_Winkle

 

[CometKeith]

Tmann, Wives don't nag, they are just trying to improve you! If you want to get away from your wife try taking up ice fishing. I don't think a woman has ever tried it or would want to for that matter!

 

[pecan]

We experienced this first hand when we cleared our property when we first moved in. There were 7 tree stumps along the property line all cut to about 4 feet tall. We soon figured out why they were cut so high... All of the the former trees had grown around the old barbed wire fence (fence was about 70 years old). There were many strands of barbed wire running through the stumps and out the other side and some even had completely hidden metal fence posts in the center. Made it tricky removing the stumps and ruled out using a chainsaw or stump grinder

I will assume the picture Bullfrog posted is not photo shopped just because the story seems much more interesting.

 

[jlcsmom]

I have to wonder why some people have to be suspicious and look for the bad in everything? Why would someone bother to photoshop this picture AND come up with the very detailed backstory? Just saying.....

 

[j.w]

Ok I did some searching............took me about 1 minute to find this:

http://www.snopes.com/photos/natural/bicycle.asp