Story of a magic tree

"Wiz, the magic tree of Hafer," 8 x 11 1/2  cold press paper 

What makes magic? Believing. Especially if you share.
I've told you about my friend, my fav tree in Hafer Park, an old, gnarled Post Oak I've named "Wiz," short for Wizard."
I always stop and chat with him on my walks, briefly, making sure nobody is around who will think I'm dangerous, as we share many traits of aging, and I've wanted to try to paint him, but never figured out how.
Early this morning, it happened, because of people I met.
I passed a  young mother who had taken her two children, a little girl, and her younger brother, on a "looking for magic" walk in the "Enchanted Forest" of Hafer. They both had bags and were stopping to look at leaves, twigs and what not.
I stopped to talk to Wiz, and decided to wait for them.
Here they came, skipping up the walk, full of wonder and excitement, and, keeping my social distance,  I told them a brief story.
"Did you know there's magic, kind wizard that lives here," I asked.
Their eyes got big, looking around. Their mother smiled.

"He's right here," I said, pointing to Wiz. "His name is Wiz, the Wizard. Long ago he was a famous wizard but he got old and decided to settle down. So he became this tree."
"See all those bumps on him," I asked, referring to his numerous gargoyle like bumps. "That's where his magic is." 
They stood there, in awe, because they believed in magic and were having fun.
As I turned to go, I heard the mother tell them, "Look, at all those magic places."
They made my day.
And when I got home I knew how to paint Wiz, a magic tree.
Here he is, plus two photographs, one from this morning, and one earlier.