I love taking walks. In the late afternoons I head out, camera in hand, and walking shoes on. It gives me time to quiet my heart and enjoy nature and its beauty. There is a particular tree in my neighborhood that blooms every year. It is amazing, with beautiful white blooms that are tinted in the center of their petals with a deep pink. This lovely tree, I’m told, is called a Dogwood.
Today as I walked passed, I couldn’t help but stop and take some pictures. To my surprise the owner of the house came rushing out to see what I was doing. I assured her I was only taking pictures of the lovely tree and its blooms. She seemed to relax and I asked her why she was so anxious. She pointed to a sawed off branch and she said, “Every year around this time I have to stand vigil over this tree. We don’t know who it is and it could be more than one person but just before Easter they come by and cut off the blooming branches of our tree and put them in their floral arrangements or sell them in the black market. The blooming branches are worth quite a bit. My husband and I actually camp out here the night before Easter to make sure it’s safe.”
I was horrified at her story and saddened that someone would vandalize such a beautiful tree. The cuts they had made were terrible, and I noticed the stumps left on the tree needed attending to. I recommended she do some trimming and cut back the stumps rather than let them rot and possibly lose the tree.
I think she felt a little sheepish at the way she had rushed out, but I assured her she had every right to question what I was doing. Then she broke off a small branch of those beautiful blooms and gave them to me. She said, “Thank you for loving my tree as much as I do.”
It is always a wonderful thing to meet another passionate soul.
Today as I walked passed, I couldn’t help but stop and take some pictures. To my surprise the owner of the house came rushing out to see what I was doing. I assured her I was only taking pictures of the lovely tree and its blooms. She seemed to relax and I asked her why she was so anxious. She pointed to a sawed off branch and she said, “Every year around this time I have to stand vigil over this tree. We don’t know who it is and it could be more than one person but just before Easter they come by and cut off the blooming branches of our tree and put them in their floral arrangements or sell them in the black market. The blooming branches are worth quite a bit. My husband and I actually camp out here the night before Easter to make sure it’s safe.”
I was horrified at her story and saddened that someone would vandalize such a beautiful tree. The cuts they had made were terrible, and I noticed the stumps left on the tree needed attending to. I recommended she do some trimming and cut back the stumps rather than let them rot and possibly lose the tree.
I think she felt a little sheepish at the way she had rushed out, but I assured her she had every right to question what I was doing. Then she broke off a small branch of those beautiful blooms and gave them to me. She said, “Thank you for loving my tree as much as I do.”
It is always a wonderful thing to meet another passionate soul.
Here is the little blooming branch she gave me.
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Blessings!
