It sits on the border between the two properties, a few feet within the boundary. It sat around the same black container it came in for three and half years. Hard to say how long it was in that canister before I bought it. It took me through two holiday seasons and then, two Decembers ago, in a state of befuddlement or maybe grace I bought a five dollar second hand artificial tree from St Vinnies. Just as well, by then my spruce was dying.
It takes a long time for something as stubborn as that spruce to go. I trimmed it back two summers ago if only because I was tired of banging into it as I walked to my car. Never mind it would have been easy to move at the time, but there you go. It took on that look of survivor, or victim, depending on your take. It was cast aside and a bit irked at that, considering the love that was poured upon it when it first came home.
I saw that tree for the first time back in December of '05. It sat all by it's lonesome that cold winter night in the Bremerton Lowe's nursery waiting for a friend to come and fetch it and take it home. I needed a tree and went there to look at artificial ones. I figured if fake trees were good enough for you, well, they were good enough for me. I was going away that season, just like you, and didn't want the hassle of dead tree on my hands when I got back. But something drew me into the nursery, and as I looked over the "fresh cut" trees I spied this spindley looking thing off in the corner. I went over took a peek, then wandered around the other live evergreens for awhile. There were lots to choose from, but something kept dragging me back to this highly challenged tree.
I looked at it from all angles, walked away and came back three or four times. Then, out of the blue I had that swap meet moment, the one you get when someone else starts spying your prize. I sided up to this couple who were eyeing "my" tree. They told me all about their live tree adventures, how they purchased one every year, how their lot at home was ringed with trees in various states of growth. They already had two Colorado Blue Spruce trees and thought that maybe one more would be nice to add to the collection. But they looked at it all too obvious lopsidedness and walked away. I immediately grabbed a cart and loaded it on, hit up the decorations and happily paid top dollar for it.
That tree was small but it took well to a stand. I found plenty of other decorations along the way to add to the ones from Lowes. You even added a nice bird to the mix. It was a happy tree that year, happy and very much loved.
Fast forward to last summer. The tree was in the way and in the bucket and looking mighty, mighty sad. The Estranged One took one look at that tree and stuck it in the back by the trash can. She didn't see the value or the benefit of sinking that tree into the ground. "Get another one when we move", she said. But she went away in August and life took a different turn than we expected and as of this afternoon the house will be pretty much mine. So in honor of the occasion I got a jump on the celebration and sunk that tree three weeks ago.
And here's what's funny about the whole thing. I stuck it in the ground thinking that the neighbors would scream "property rights" or maybe think I was nuts for putting a dead tree in the ground. But like all good things that tree surprised me and began to bloom. Well, the tip of the branches all got new growths on them. It took off like a dog pound pooch in a loving home. I water it every other day and it's happy as all get out.
This December will mark the fourth anniversary of that tree in my life. Had I planted it then it might be my height by now, but no matter. I wasn't "living here" yet. And now, just like then, that tree is loved. Surprise me come Christmas and stick a bird ornament on it again, will you? Otherwise know that whenever I come home I reach out and touch that tree and say hello to you. It's your tree, too, you know.
Your WHMB
It takes a long time for something as stubborn as that spruce to go. I trimmed it back two summers ago if only because I was tired of banging into it as I walked to my car. Never mind it would have been easy to move at the time, but there you go. It took on that look of survivor, or victim, depending on your take. It was cast aside and a bit irked at that, considering the love that was poured upon it when it first came home.
I saw that tree for the first time back in December of '05. It sat all by it's lonesome that cold winter night in the Bremerton Lowe's nursery waiting for a friend to come and fetch it and take it home. I needed a tree and went there to look at artificial ones. I figured if fake trees were good enough for you, well, they were good enough for me. I was going away that season, just like you, and didn't want the hassle of dead tree on my hands when I got back. But something drew me into the nursery, and as I looked over the "fresh cut" trees I spied this spindley looking thing off in the corner. I went over took a peek, then wandered around the other live evergreens for awhile. There were lots to choose from, but something kept dragging me back to this highly challenged tree.
I looked at it from all angles, walked away and came back three or four times. Then, out of the blue I had that swap meet moment, the one you get when someone else starts spying your prize. I sided up to this couple who were eyeing "my" tree. They told me all about their live tree adventures, how they purchased one every year, how their lot at home was ringed with trees in various states of growth. They already had two Colorado Blue Spruce trees and thought that maybe one more would be nice to add to the collection. But they looked at it all too obvious lopsidedness and walked away. I immediately grabbed a cart and loaded it on, hit up the decorations and happily paid top dollar for it.
That tree was small but it took well to a stand. I found plenty of other decorations along the way to add to the ones from Lowes. You even added a nice bird to the mix. It was a happy tree that year, happy and very much loved.
Fast forward to last summer. The tree was in the way and in the bucket and looking mighty, mighty sad. The Estranged One took one look at that tree and stuck it in the back by the trash can. She didn't see the value or the benefit of sinking that tree into the ground. "Get another one when we move", she said. But she went away in August and life took a different turn than we expected and as of this afternoon the house will be pretty much mine. So in honor of the occasion I got a jump on the celebration and sunk that tree three weeks ago.
And here's what's funny about the whole thing. I stuck it in the ground thinking that the neighbors would scream "property rights" or maybe think I was nuts for putting a dead tree in the ground. But like all good things that tree surprised me and began to bloom. Well, the tip of the branches all got new growths on them. It took off like a dog pound pooch in a loving home. I water it every other day and it's happy as all get out.
This December will mark the fourth anniversary of that tree in my life. Had I planted it then it might be my height by now, but no matter. I wasn't "living here" yet. And now, just like then, that tree is loved. Surprise me come Christmas and stick a bird ornament on it again, will you? Otherwise know that whenever I come home I reach out and touch that tree and say hello to you. It's your tree, too, you know.
Your WHMB
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