The Giving Tree

I need to get more original with my blog titles, I know.

But check this out.This is one of many trees from my childhood. It stands in my parents neighbor's back yard. This is a photo from last fall.

A silent witness, this tree stood vigil over careless youth and tumultuous teen angst. Every fall our neighborhood mob would strip our yards of their leaves and deposit them behind this tree then swing to dizzying heights and fling ourselves onto the pile. Eventually a parent would realize what we were doing and come to spoil our fun. No doubt this same tree nurtured many a generation before ours and stood long enough for my own children to swing from it's limbs. Till last Saturday.

Here is a shot from the same side as the first photo. The perspective is a little funky. My Dad is not that small.

Then on Sunday the second half came down.


Thankfully no one was hurt and there was amazingly little property damage. But we are all mourning the loss of our big friend.