Day #272 - Support

Oh...you thought I was done blogging...no way.

I can honestly say there is a tree in my yard that owes its more upright life to my blog. I was thinking about what I might blog about earlier today and suddenly got inspired to knock one more thing off my Summer to do list and Trav was there to help, so we lent some support to one of our most crooked trees.

I bought some mettle spikes at Home Depot not long ago and keep putting off digging the 1 foot holes that are necessary to get them in the ground. Two of the three I started on my own, but didn't get far - they are still sticking sideways out of the ground by the unfortunate trees, but today I had big strong Travis to dig through the clay and rocks enough to create the necessary support.

Sad Crooked Tree before - from the entry way this tree looks like a healthy pine bush, but as you walk up the hill you can see how crooked it is and how it is growing down hill, but the newer branches are pointing up to the sky and I couldn't help thinking it wanted to grow straight and tall like its giant sisters spread throughout our yard.

Here is Travis being Brawny:

It took digging, pick-axing, digging some more, hammering and burying to get the spike in the ground far enough to make a difference; then we got some strong wire, cut up a hose and pushed and pulled the tree as far as we felt it could take it (I didn't want to break it in half after all that) and secured it to the spike.

Don't you think the tree looks happier in a more upright position? In a week or so we will go back out and tighten the wire to see if we can get it totally straight before winter. That snow is so heavy and it is hard for the little trees to stand tall under that weight all on their own.

I can wax on about how we all need a little support now and then, how the spike can represent any number of things in our lives, but you can draw your own metaphor...

I Am Grateful,
HB

Diva Quote: "Nobody trips over mountains. It is the small pebble that causes you to stumble. Pass all the pebbles in your path and you will find you have crossed the mountain." Anonymous