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Here are a few quotes from RACE THE RISING SUN:
“A sunny day is not proof of having made good decisions.”
“My breath seemed to be solid. I imagined that after it left my mouth as vapor it would freeze in mid air. Then crystalline fog would fall to the ground like a clump of clear cotton candy and shatter into frozen dust.”
“With my visor up, jacket unzipped and a face full of water, tragedy had come for a visit. Funny how she always waited until moments like that before arriving, the impolite bitch.”
“I was fascinated with the fauna of the Sierra Madre. Nature is truly amazing. My goal was to actually see a gila monster; I hear they taste like chicken.”
Two types of tree are prominently discussed in both of my novels. They are the "Tree Of Life" and the "Strangler Fig Tree."
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Lignum Vitae Tree:
Lignum Vitae \Lig“num-vi”tae\ (Wood [Tree] of Life). This slow growing tree can reach a height of sixty feet and is native to the Antilles. It also grows in the warm latitudes of America, the Caribbean and Florida. Its greenish, brown wood, is one of the most dense known to man. It is approximately 35.1 kgs/cu. Ft.
Upon his arrival in the new world, Christopher Columbus heard of a legendary tree known locally as the Guaiac. It was believed to have had almost supernatural powers and that its magic could cure any ailment. The trees were considered so sacred and powerful that a horrible tragedy would befall anyone that cut down even a single tree unless the harvest was part of a supervised pagan ritual. In the middle ages, blocks of the wood were
hung in European churches as objects of devotion.During the 16th century chips of Lignum Vitae were boiled to produce an elixir or salve for conditions as varied as tooth aches, gout, rheumatism and arthritis. It was highly prized as a treatment for syphilis. Unfortunately the treatments were not very effective and most patients died.
Today, an extract of the resin (guaiaconic acid) is used for cough syrup and when combined with an alcohol solution will turn blue when in contact with human blood. This solution is still used by investigators for the detection of unseen blood splatter.
The wood is so saturated with resin that objects made from it are self lubricating and nearly impervious to water. It was used for ships wheels, blocks, machine bushings, propeller shafts for steam ships and any other objects that were required to absorb tremendous stress. It is also unusually resistant to acids and harsh chemicals. Until the advent of modern plastics, Lignum Vitae was the only option for the demands of a developing world.
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Strangler Fig Tree:
The strangler fig begins its life as a parasite in a crack on the bark of another already established tree, its pre-digested seeds deposited by animal droppings. As the fig matures it drops aerial roots, wrapping the trunk on the way down until they eventually find the forest floor and burrow deep. With the sudden infusion of nutrients, the fig puts on a major growth spurt stealing water and nutrients from its host. The roots have already encircled the host and now engorge and slowly surround it in a growing cage of vines. These roots start to fuse together, and squeeze the trunk of the host, choking off its flow of nutrients. To complete the pincer movement, the aggressive fig grows thick green leaves overshadowing its host and robbing it of sunlight.
Eventually the host is strangled in a slow lingering death. Entombed by the lattice-work of huge roots, the host then rots and falls to the ground, its final act still providing nutrients for its conqueror. In the end, the knotted and twisted roots create a patchwork hollow tube of snaking limbs reaching for the sky and the strangler fig finally stands on its own. This agent of death has developed an aggressive growth habit which allowed it to take what it needed from the world. There is no mercy or remorse in the natural world, its just business, nothing personal.
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