Tree in the street in Bellville

I saw this about 15 years ago, and have often told friends about it, only to have them kind of change the subject. I'm sure they think my creativity has gone a bit over the edge in the way of story-telling. But here it is.... A large leafy oak standing magestically in the center of the right lane of a street in downtown Bellville. I'm not quite sure how the city has gotten by with it, but it strikes me as one of the oddest things I have ever seen. I guess it wouldn't be so odd had the tree been surrounded with a flower bed, or a sign with an arrow on it mounted to the tree, or even a smiley face to humor you as you approach it. But no, this giant of a tree has asphalt all the way up to the edge of the trunk, all the way around the tree, no sign, no warning, no light, nothing! And it lives today. I just drove past it last week and finally stopped and shot this (not so great) image on my iPhone. Note the stop sign to the right and slightly beyond the tree. You have to maneuver around the tree over into the oncoming lane to pass it. It is on a side street, and that's most likely why it has been allowed to continue to live. But this beautiful old oak lives on in spite of the lane it occupies. I think this is a great lesson that no matter the conditions, great things can continue to grow. :-)