Autumn renewal

Not long after we moved into our home I ordered a tree from a mail-order plant company. I was hoping it would grow lots of branches, be really tall, and provide some much needed shade for the back yard.

The tree amazed me. I thought I totally killed it once, but it came back. It quickly grew, in the space of about six years, so that it was as tall as the house. It had the most amazing leaves ~ they were fuzzy, and during the summer, they were the size of dinner plates. The flowers in the spring were divine. I loved to collect them and take a big whiff of the scent.

Then Ike came and destroyed my tree. There was nothing left to do but chop it into pieces and put it out on the curb.

Today when I was in the back yard I noticed something I didn't expect.

This is what my original tree looked like after it came back from the dead. All is not lost! Whoopee!!!

I'm glad today to see this symbol of hope and renewal in my own back yard.