Lynn, I do believe you hit the nail on the head. In looking at the wood under the bark, it does look like the wood. Totally cool bark by the way. It is very tight grained too. Thank you so much for that link.
Kathleen - the hard woods in your area are beyond belief stunning and huge. And SO colorful in autumn.
Sharon, yes, Pebble lived in Turkey and Washington State. She had dual citizenship as well. She was actually just visiting her sister in Washington when she became ill and stayed here. They spent much of their childhood in Turkey as their father worked there and they lived in a Turkish neighborhood in Washington. Per Pebble's request, her sister spread her ashes in her beloved Aegean Sea. She said the water there is the most perfect brilliant blue.
