That your tree?
I'd say it is. Quite a tree, isn't it?
You got that right. I've walked all of the top of Queen Anne today and your tree's got "Best of Show."
It's gorgeous. Just gorgeous. Every year when it blooms I know that this is as close to heaven as I'll ever get on Earth.
How old is it?
It's 36 years old. I planted it myself when I first came up here on Queen Anne. It was just a sprat when I put it in. Top came no higher than my waist and the trunk was about as big around as my big toe. Now it's over thirty feet tall and the trunk is bigger around than I am, and I'm big enough.
But I gave it what it needed. I poured everything I could bring home from work on it. I gave it fish heads. Fish tails. Oysters in the shell. A tub of guts when I had the truck and could put them in back. Just poured that ocean on it year in and year out. Just going to rot on the docks if I didn't. Thought it might be better if it rotted into my tree.
Didn't the smell give you any trouble with the neighbors?
Trouble? Nope. Wasn't no trouble at all. Thirty six years ago there weren't no neighbors to give you trouble. Only trouble I ever had in my life was from my wives. Now that they're passed on, I don't have any trouble left at all. Just me and the tree.
Posted by Vanderleun at May 24, 2008 11:21 PM | TrackBackSadly, he also poured everything he had into his marriages. But how many women these days are impressed by fish heads and a tub of guts?
Posted by: Gagdad Bob at March 25, 2008 7:43 AMGreat Tree, great story,and more than likely great guy.
Posted by: Junk Diva at March 25, 2008 10:14 AMThis is a great blog! and yes planting trees is very important for the future of the planet. Keep up the good work!
Posted by: Tree Planter at June 28, 2008 7:35 AM"It is impossible to speak in such a way that you cannot be misunderstood." -- Karl Popper N.B.: Comments are moderated to combat spam and may not appear immediately. Comments that exceed the obscenity or stupidity limits will be either edited or expunged.