While in Bay Saint Louis last week for the Great American Cleanup, my cousin Kathleen took Karen and I on a little tour of Bay St. Louis. One of the sites she showed us was this "Angel Tree" that is only a couple of blocks from the beach. The BLUE skies were partly cloudy and my picture didn't turn out as clear as I hoped, but you can see the details with which the angels were carved in this tree which did not survive the storm.
I found this excerpt from the archives of Mississippi Magazine that explains the Angel Tree:
During the worst part of the storm, several locals (including a retired hurricane hunter) sought "high ground" on the second floor of the Bay Town Inn, near Demontluzin Avenue. When the huge house began to crumble in the violent storm surge, three of them--Doug Niolet, Nikki Nicholson, and Kevan Guillry--swam to a nearby oak tree in a last-resort effort to survive the storm. All three individuals made it through safely by clinging to the limbs, but the tree did not survive.
When the tree, the very thing that stood strong to save their lives, faced imminent removal, they sought the help of an Indiana "chain saw sculptor" named Dayle Lewis with the Kat-Rita Wood Project, a non-profit organization that turns hurricane scrap wood into art. Lewis whittled the bare Live Oak down to its main trunk and created beautiful angels from some of its existing limbs. Now locals call the sculpture the "Demontluzin Angels" to commemorate their experience.
Please visit Sally at Smiling Sally for more Blue Monday posts!Thanks for visiting today!
35 comments:
What a cool story!
What a fabulous story and beautiful angel carving. Have a great Monday!
This picture really is worth 1000 words and a great reminder of gratitude!
Great story. I remember hearing about 3 people clinging to a tree, but didn't know that's what happened to it after that.
Good Morning Diane, what an interesting story about the angel tree. I would love to see it. Your photo is awesome.
Question. Did you link up at Sally's? I have been there several times since 5:00am and nothing. Just curious.
Have a great day...Hugs, Jeanne
Nice to see a tragedy turn into something magnificent! Thanks for sharing
Gina Jo
What a great post...thanks...
Wow...I remember hearing about this, I think.
Thanks for the story and the photo...
Fascinating! I hadn't heard that. Thanks for sharing. Happy Blue Monday.
She's lovely. The blue sky is such a gorgeous color.
This is so touching, Diane. My cousin is a Hurricane Hunter at Keesler. While he was flying, his home was destroyed. So this is very powerful to me. I read all sorts of stories about the storm, and I remember reading of this particular one. While I'm terribly sorry that wonderful live oak didn't make it, it's neat to see how it ended. My heart just aches for all of those people who have been through so much.
Happy Blue Monday...
XO,
Sheila
Hi Diane
It's so fitting that a beautiful angel memorial was cut into the tree as a reminder of it's last act of shelter.
Hugs, Pat
PS: Katz's deli is an experience, but it's pricey and cash only. That's why we stuck with the hot dog and kinish..lol
Great story Diane! Thanks for sharing! Happy Blue Monday to you!
What a fascinating story. I love posts like this!
JudyBug
Interesting story, Diane ... We missed seeing the angel tree when we were in Bay Saint Louis.
Thank you for sharing it.
Sincerely,
Janie
What a cool tree...and, especially, the story that goes along with it! AWESOME!
Good morning Diane! What a dramatic carving this is. Very cool. Happy Blue Monday to you!
Hi Diane...I'm so glad this mighty oak will always be preserved in such an extraordinary way..;-) Bo
What a beautiful story and a beautiful tree sculpture!...Christine
Diane what an awsome story! Happy Blue Monday!
What a beautiful carving! The sky was just gorgeous this weekend.
How fitting for such a majestic tree that was a refuge in the storm! - what a neat story! ~ Robyn
What a beautiful tribute to the tree that safed those 3 peoples lifes.The piece is truly beautiful.Thank you for this post.
Hello Diane...
What a touching story...I can't even begin to imagine how terrifying that would have been...to survive that storm by hanging onto a tree for dear life!!! What a beautiful tribute to life, survival, and God's mercies....the angel tree is fabulous!!!
I have a couple of old trees in my backyard that we already took out...all but about 8 ft of the trunks...I would love to do something like this with them...but sculpting with a chain-saw isn't my forte!
Thank you for sharing this beauty!
Warmest wishes,
Chari
Diane
Thank you for sharing this story. Its hard to imagine something like this when one has never gone through it. There must be so many stories with so much having happened.
I hope your day today has been a lovely one.
Judi
Amazing story, Diane! The angel tree is beautiful!!
great picture and story!
Susan
The picture of that carving and the story about it were just amazing! Thank you. laurie
THat is a beautiful carving and what a great story. You always have such interesting stories to share. ☺
take care,
Dawn
Interesting story!!! Have a great Monday, Diane!
sandy toe
Diane,
This post was both beautiful & sad. It is so uplifting to see mankind come together during tough times. Thank you for sharing!
xoxo
Janie
Diane,
I really appreciated your post and all you do to volunteer to make our world a little bit better.
I was moved about the story of the angel tree and the lives that were saved. Thanks for sharing the tree and story with us:)
Beautiful story! ♥
Thanks for sharing such a moving story. The angel tree is facinating. Happy Blue Monday!
Sweetie
Its beautiful. I love the story too.
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