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Chestnuts

I have something with chestnuts. This all started on a nice authem day in 1991 when, while I was walking to the railway station, a chestnut dropped straight before my feet. I picked it up and put it in my pocket. I walked around with this chestnut for several months, lost it, found it, and finally lost it again. (On November 15, 2001, a picture was published of what I believed was the particular tree, after it had fallen.)

On day in the fall of 1993 (either late August or early September) while biking home from church, I spotted another chestnut, which became the second chestnut I carried around. This chestnut by far traveled with me the longest distance. I Cracked it by accident on Wednesday, March 1, 1995.

My third chestnut was found by Annabel. I stolen it from her for a good reason on October 16, 1996. On January 31, 1998, I glued it, after I broke it while playing with it. In the fall of the same year, on Sunday, September 20 to be precise, Annabel and I gathered chestnuts from a tree before a Chinese restaurant, which we passed while biking home from church. I hoped to find a new chestnut to replace my current cracked one. But the chestnuts we gathered quickly lost their shining appearance, and I decided to stick to the one I had. Finally, on January 21, 1999, I threw my third chestnut away.

Later that year, I again gathering some chestnuts, and Annabel gathered some as well from the same tree as the year before. From the one I gathered, I selected after having them on my computer for some time my fourth chestnut. On November 2, 1999, Annabel claimed my chestnut, and carried it with her the whole day.

2000

On March 15, I found a sprouting chestnut, which I put in a pot with earth. The next day, I found three others which I put in my garden. The next week, I discovered that the root of the first one I found already had grown three times as long as it was when I found it.

Growth curve:
time/dateheight in cmRemarks
morning of March 274
evening of March 276
morning of March 287.5
evening of March 2810
evening of March 2913
morning of March 3119
evening of March 3121
evening of April 1258 leaves, about 2 cm long
evening of April 229
morning of April 330leaves 4 cm long
evening of April 940longest leave is 10 cm
evening of April 1340longest leave is 12 cm

After this spectecular growth periode it remained the same height. On Friday, August 25 we planted it in our front garden. But before the end of the month, the leaves turned yellow, as if the Autum had come. A few weeks later, the leaves have indeed fallen off.

On September 19, I found the first fresh chestnut of the year 2000.

2001

On April 3, Annabel and I saw that the chestnut tree started to bud. It is still about 40 cm high. On April 8, I took a picture of it. Two weeks later, on April 22, I took another picture of it. There had not been much growth because of the relatively cold weather.

On the first of May, some child from the neighbourhood broke off the little chestnut tree. We put the broken top in a small bottle with water, hoping that it may start growing roots again.

On September 28, I found some chestnuts that I put in my backgarden and one in a pot inside hoping that some will start to grow.

2002

On February 3, I discovered that the chestnut that I had put in the pot had sprouted. Now, I know how to do it. Below its growth curve is given:

Date Height/length in cm Remarks
MorningAfternoonNight
February 4121314 
February 51516 Bends at about 11 cm
February 6 1920 
February 7   Top 4 cm is still bend down
February 824.5 27Length including leaves
February 9 23 Height excluding leaves. Leaves 4 cm.
February 10 27 It has straighten up!

On Sunday, March 24 we found that some of the chestnuts that were still in the garden, had sprouted. We decided to bring them inside.

On April 18, I removed the now hollow chestnut from the first first chestnut plant (tree).

On May 11, one of the plants that I thought were not going to make it, started to grow in a strange way.

On Sunday, September 8, I planted the small trees in the front and back garden.

2003

On Sunday, March 30, I noticed that one of the small trees in the front garden started to grow green leaves.

On Sunday, April 27, Annabel took a picture of two of the chestnut trees in the back garden.

2004

On the weekend of April 18, Annabel counted that her chestnut tree had hundred leaves. All five trees got leaves, even the one in the front garden that looked like it had died.

2005

On Thursday, October 6, I picked three shining chestnuts from a tree close to the office of my previous company.

2006

On Sunday, October 1, I picked a shining chestnut from along the road while biking home from church.

2007

On Saterday, September 8, I picked three shining chestnuts from along the road while biking home from the city.

2008

On Wednesday, June 4, two of the three chestnut trees in our garden where severly pruned by some workmen installing a new fence.

On Wednesday, August 6, I took some pictures, which clearly shows that that the two trees that where severly pruned did survive.

2009

On Wednesday, September 9, I found two chestnuts inside a single shell.

2010

On Wednesday, September 22, I picked-up three chestnuts.

2011

On Saturday, August 27, I picked-up one chestnut.

2013

On Wednesday, July 31, talked about the size of the chestnut tree in our garden.

On Wednesday, October 2, I picked-up a small chestnut.

2014

On Sunday, March 30, used a saw to reduced the height of the tree in our garden.

On Tuesday, September 9, I picked-up a chestnut from the street.

2015

Early October, I collected some chestnuts from various places.

2016

September 19, September 30, and October 2, I collected some chestnuts small and large.

2017

September 26, I collected six large chestnuts.

2018

September 6, found my first chestnut.

2019

June 9, hollow chestnut. September 22, small chestnut tree has withered.

2020

On April 29, Annabel noted that the small chestnut tree had sprouted again. But on May 25, 2020, I noticed that it has withered due to my lack of care. Later it started to grow some new leaves agains.

September 27, I picked up my first chestnut.

2021

On September 5, Conny gave me the chestnut she found during an evening walk.

2022

On September 6 we found two small chestnuts.

On September 29 we cut down the tall chestnut tree in the back garden.

2023

On April 16, I planted the little chestnust tree in the garden, thinking at that moment it was a magnolia tree.

On September 7, Conny gave me a chestnut, which I planted in the back garden.

2024

On August 31, Conny gave me a tiny chestnut and On September 5, a large chestnut.


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