Love.

You see this tree? I love this tree. When we first moved into this house, it was quite small. I never much noticed it because of it's puny size and odd location. I had thought about taking it out when we put in our sprinkler system and lawn. It just didn't seem to fit in. For some reason (like my Dad talking us into keeping it), we left it to grow where it was. Every autumn it DUMPS these tiny feather like leaves and makes a complete littery mess all over the backyard. While raking, I cursed it's existence. One early morning four years ago while I was nursing baby Savannah, the sun came up over the house and out the living room window my tree looked like it had caught fire. It's leaves had changed into the most rich red color, it looked like fireworks. Ever since that morning, I have grown to respect this tree and the pleasure it gives me in every season. In the summer it provides shade for my honey hut, in the autumn it tells me the weather is getting colder by changing its colors, in the winter it allows the sun to shine through so we get more sun to warm the house and in the spring it is the most amazing chartreuse color with little caterpillar-like pods lazily hanging from it's branches. I still curse it for all the raking, but I love this tree.