I was looking at a tree while on a break.
There's really not much to do outside, but study the trees.
I got to wondering, how did this tree come to have thorns?
Naturally, the tree wants to protect its fruit from animals, but how did it come up with the thorn idea?
I asked this question, because, after all, I'm Jim.
I got to thinking about how the tree, over millions of years, must have developed all kinds of things to protect itself better.
Ears, hands, and legs are out because plants don't tend to grow animal parts well (eg: muscles). The image is funny, though.
So, that leaves things that the plant can build, like shapes and chemicals.
That could result in lots of leaves, thorns, poisons, razor sharp bark, and smell.
I can't think of any other way for the tree to protect itself, other than just having nothing animals want.
I also noticed these trees had swarms of tiny white bugs
They come come out every now and then, and they cover the tree, making the shady side white!
Most people suggested that the bugs were nasty. I'd heard reactions like: Ewwee! Someone should spray them.
But there were probably over 10,000 of these little life forms, crawling around on the tree.
Each of them probably regard their life as important as we do ours. I thought they were beautiful.
I kind of thought these bugs were necessary for the tree somehow.
What I saw was, these bugs coming out of the roots, cleaning up the bark, and dying.
I couldn't help but wonder how long that friendship, between the insects and the trees, took to foster.
In the end, it made me wonder what function we serve in nature.
What do we clean up or protect?
Was our species designed to escape this planet and spread life throughout the universe?
Or are we here just to devour all of the tasty animals, decreasing their populations?
All this from a thorny tree with bugs on it.
Guess I was bored. lol.