But now, we need to say goodbye to our old friend. She’s very sick; it’s her heart. Our old friend the Maple Tree has a fungus (Heart rot) that is killing her from the inside out. She still looks good on the outside; with a few bare smaller limbs here and there and a few brown leaves, but she is dying. We asked the Arborist if she could be saved and were told she is likely already rotting, if not hollow, at spots inside and if not removed, our last large maple tree next to her could be impacted by the fungus.

I’ve spent the last several weeks as I’ve been recovering from a fractured L1 vertebrae, sitting on our porch with my dog, Lucas. We have appreciated the shade and semi-privacy our old friend the Maple Tree gives us. We have appreciated watching the birds, squirrels, and chipmunks as they enjoy our friend. I listened to the rustle of our old friend’s leaves yesterday, closing my eyes and wishing we could understand each other.

Some might think it silly to talk about a tree as if it’s a friend. But I can’t think of our old friend, the Maple Tree, any other way. She has been good to us. She has given us so much and never asked for anything in return. My wife and I have both commented about the loss we are going to feel. I thought it only fitting to take photos of some of the unique and special features in honor of our old friend before we have to say “goodbye” to her.

I would like to introduce you to our old friend, the Maple Tree.

Goodbye, Old Friend. You will truly be missed.

To those who are new to following me, I hope you will find our time together enjoyable! I can be somewhat complicated at times and I hope that doesn’t scare anyone away. I am a husband, father, IT professional, musician, photographer, lover of road trips and BBQ (with greens and baked macaroni, of course!). I enjoy solitude; I find being in the presence of large groups of people emotionally draining. Some have accused me of being a bit of a philosopher (though I think that’s a bit generous). I do my best to follow the teachings of Jesus, Who I call to be my Lord and Savior. I have clinical depression - I’ve likely had it most of my life. I also likely have a bit of ADD, but I come from an era where my parents didn’t want to get me diagnosed for fear it meant I was somehow “flawed”. Still, I press on. I have a dog, Lucas, who I believe with all my heart is a gift from God. I will be 64 years old this fall and I can’t wait until I can retire because I want to spend more time doing the things that bring me life, joy, and happiness.

As I work to settle in on Substack, my goal is to provide photos and the stories behind them. So I’m sharing my first story with you today!

Enough about me. Here’s today’s story and photographs…

I was out walking with my dog, Lucas, this morning near the creek behind our house. While Lucas was sniffing the ground for traces of the wildlife that had been left behind, I began observing the trees around us. I have observed the trees in this area before over the past two decades of living in this location, but I had never noticed the markings on one tree, in particular, that had me thinking about traces of others who had been in the area previously. Back in the mid 1900’s, this area had been farm land, and the tree that I saw had what I assumed were the scars of some sort of fencing that may have been wrapped around it at some point. It was fascinating to me to start thinking about how the area might have been at one time. I did go looking for other trees along the treeline that shared similar markings but did not see any.

I was also aware of a few other trees in the area that had stories to tell…

We don’t always think about the stories we leave behind. We don’t always think about how what we shared on FaceBook or Instagram may have impacted someone (good or bad). But our lives are a story that others will see, hear, and hear about. This is something that, as I begin this new journey (both online, and in the attempts at mindfulness that contribute to it), I want to try to be especially aware. I am making it my goal to be more thoughtful, more mindful, more encouraging, and more enlightening (especially for the benefit of those who consider me a bit of a philosopher).

As I close, I want to share one more photo from my walkabout with Lucas today. A few years ago, I came to appreciate these flowers in the very area we were walking. I think they’re rather pretty and I enjoy seeing them and hope you enjoy seeing them, too!

Take time to notice the small things!

Craig