SAN ANTONIO, Texas (AP) -- Is it an artesian spring, a broken water pipe or an abandoned well?
Lucille Pope's red oak tree has gurgled water for about three months, and experts can't seem to get to the root of the problem.
Pope, 65, has sought answers from the Texas Forest Service, the Edwards Aquifer Authority and nurseries.
They have taken pictures and conducted studies, but none have arrived at a firm answer.
"I got a mystery tree," Pope said in Friday editions of the San Antonio-Express News.
"What kind of mystery do I have where water comes out of a tree?"
Her son, Lloyd, 47, discovered water leaking from the tree in April. He said it was cool, like it came from the tap.
The only damp spot around the tree trunk is where the water lands.
Mark Peterson, a regional community forester from the Texas Forest Service said he believes it could be a spring, but pointed out that would be rare with the drought conditions this summer.
"If it is a burst pipe their monthly bill would be enormous," Peterson said.
Lucille Pope has started to wonder if the water has special properties.
Her insurance agent dabbed drops of the water on a spider bite and the welt went away, she said.
"I just want to know if it is a healing tree or blessed water," she said. "That's God's water. Nobody knows but God."
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I can see the writing on the wall here. By monday there's going to be 1000s of religious fanatics crowded around this tree, swearing to see the face of Mary carved in the bark and the water is meant to be her tears! :weirdeyes:
