The first time Rickie saw a hemlock tree was at Sherry’s in Georgia. He was instantly in love. He couldn’t get enough of seeing them. When I watched Twin Peaks a few years ago and Special Agent Dale Cooper was enthralled with the Douglas Firs in the northwest, it reminded me of Rickie and the hemlocks.
He’s been on my mind a lot lately. I suppose it’s all the trees I’m planting here that naturally brings him to the forefront of my mind. He and I never met a tree we didn’t like! He nurtured every one he planted like it was a little baby and he couldn’t wait to see what it would grow into. And we planted a lot of trees in our time!
When I was a kid every time we moved, which was often, my Mamaw bought a sycamore tree for our yard. It was her favorite. The huge leaves!
Many trees hold a special place in my heart. Live oaks, spruces, Douglas firs (my grandma’s favorite Christmas tree and the ones on the hill behind my house in Pagosa), mesquites, fruit trees, and the big Ponderosas.
But I guess the lowly juniper, known as cedars in Texas, hold a special place in my heart. I love the smell of them, making a wreath every Christmas, looking for the blue berries on them. They are a nuisance but they are also survivors. I planted two here this week.
Today I planted two rhododendrons. We couldn’t grow those in Texas but they are big and all over here. The sun is setting, I’ve just fed the birds hoping some will come out, as I rock in the swing we’ve had for almost 30 years. Staring at my neighbor’s huge hemlock tree. Drinking a little Baileys. The evening is cool. This is the best time of the day to me. Work is done. What didn’t get done will wait for another day. No pressure.
Blue shadows on the trail time.
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