This tree proudly stands guard at the shore of our lake house on Lake Lanier. We have swum in the shade of its branches, climbed its trunk to pick muscadines from the vines that twine in its leaves, and held tight to its solidity when stepping down from the path to the shore. In the last spring and summer it watches the swimmers splashing, children making mudpies and skipping stones, and boaters waterskiing, while the late fall and winter it looks down on campfires and s'mores on cool nights. It is the guardian of childhood and generations of memories.