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The Homer Tree

 

Daddy and Mama taught us to plant trees and watch them grow. Two of my earliest recollections are about tree planting. The first planting was of a Willow Oak which Mama had tied a piece of cloth to in the later part of summer around about 1946 I'm guessing as that would have been when I was three years old.

The second memory is of Grandma replanting a water oak in her backyard. I know it was in my early years because it was during the time that I was not yet trusted to walk from our house to Grandma's house alone. One day while I was with Grandma she dug up a water oak from behind her backyard and replanted it near the back porch. As she put the tree with its small bit of dirtball in the hole I had watched her dig with the grubbing hoe she told me to hold onto the tree to keep it upright. I felt like I was doing something special. About the time she finished and was pouring some water around the tree Mama came to take me home. Mama arrived just as Grandma was finishing. Grandma said to Mama: Irene we will have to call this the Jimmy tree because he helped me plant it. As I write these words I look out my window and see the Jimmy tree. It appears to be healthy and happy.

Sadly the Homer tree (the willow Oak by Mamas dining room window) has come to it's end. Day before yesterday I contracted with a tree service to take it down completely. I feel like I have signed a death warrant  for a life long friend  and it breaks my heart to see it go. Unfortunately the Homer tree was struck by lightning just over twenty years ago and I'm confident of the time frame because it was before Mama's death. The lightning strike killed one huge limb and the tree has been weakened as a result. Last October hurricane Matthew (on Jamey's birthday) the Homer tree lost several huge limbs and severely damaged the roof on Mama's house. I hate to see it go but in order to have a chance to save some of Mama's house I must do this in order to safely undertake the task of dismantling some or all of the Homer and Irene Smith family home. Hopefully I will salvage some material and display it in my barn or at Grandma's house.

I am a fierce "tree hugger" but I am a realist and I know that all living things have different seasons and there is a time when life must end.

I love this place called the Homer Smith place. I walk among the trees and take great joy in admiring lifelong friends as I watch them grow old with me.