Treebeard

Walking through Plaza Brazil, about fifteen blocks from my parish, an alert person directed my attention to this tree.  Someone had, in chalk, designed this face into it.  I could thin of none other than J.R.R. Tolkein's character, Treebeard.

The eldest of the species of Ents, he is said to live in the ancient Forest of Fangorn and stands fourteen feet in height and is tree-like in appearance, with leafy hair and a rigid structure.  Fangorn Forest lies next to Isengard where Saruman the White resides. His motto is, "Do not be hasty."

In The Two Towers he meets with Meriadoc Brandybuck and Peregrin Took, two Hobbits of the Shire known also as Merry and Pippin.  Treebeard is known to have a strong hatred of Orcs, and, after Saruman's betrayal of the Ents, of Saruman as well.

Meanwhile, Plaza Brazil is a lovely spot south of the parish.  The neighborhood houses a number of hostels, so it often has a crowd of young, international tourists.  The coffee houses are nice, and the restaurants are interesting as well.

But, if passing through the Plaza, looking with a keen eye, you may notice something unusual about the trees, especially the oldest in the middle of the plaza. . .