Textured Tuesday: Slashed and Gnarled

I've walked by this tree hundreds of times, 

but I never took notice of the cuts in its trunk 

until a couple days ago. After I'd taken a couple pictures of it, 

I questioned myself about why I'd just then paid any 

attention to the saw marks. Was it the way the sunlight 

fell on the tree, accentuating the grid cut into its gnarly base?

Some years back, the parks department installed 

a paved jogging path around the perimeter of our 

neighborhood park. The root of the tree must have interfered

with man's plan for the asphalt path, so the lines were cut

to inhibit its growth. Maybe. I'm just speculating.

The tree is doing just fine, though.

Man's plan -- thwarted.