When the Bough Breaks...

Friday an amazing thing happened. A large tree branch fell down and landed on our driveway, just inches from the tail end of our car. There was no wind involved, no lightning or thunderstorm in sight. It was sunny and nice outside. But there it was. Taking up half our front yard, after a neighbor helped Dean drag it off the driveway. The branch didn't appear rotten or dying at all. It was the strangest thing!

I called the man who mows our lawn, hoping he'd have some ideas on how to remove this "tree" from our yard. Larry said he'd see to it and not to worry. He needed to buy another chain saw anyway and would be by in a day or two to take care of it.

Today he came and I finally knew the reason God let this branch fall. Dean went out to see Larry and his new chain saw when he came by to cut up the huge "tree". After a time, I looked out the window and saw Dean bending over cutting on the tree with Larry's new saw!

I grabbed my camera and caught Dean using the chain saw. Even though it was much smaller than the one he was used to, I know it must have brought back a lot of pleasant memories for Dean when he logged in Montana and Idaho. I overheard him telling some of his logging stories to Larry as they worked.

I marveled at my wonderful God, who cares enough about one old man to let a tree branch fall, simply to allow him the joy of reliving some of his past.

Glad no one was hurt! It was a BIG one!!!

Dean using a chain saw--WOW!

Special thanks to Larry for a job well-done, and going beyond the call of duty!

A Greater Power

Last week after lightning from a thunderstorm split a big tree in our neighbor's yard, Dean and I were both shocked to see the downed tree taking up her whole back yard. What a blessing it didn't land on her house!

But she was at wit's end as to how she was going to get rid of it. Dean, an ex-logger, immediately offered his services in cutting up the tree for her and getting it stacked as firewood that she could sell. Even though his power saw hadn't been used for about fifteen years and was buried in the far recesses of our garage, he didn't see why he couldn't come to her rescue and do the job.

The neighbor and I, and I'm sure anyone else who knows Dean very well, had our doubts that Dean could ever accomplish such a feat. Dean at 67, with a brain injury and dementia, who can't even put his own socks on any more and falls on a regular basis--chopping and stacking firewood? It seemed laughable, improbable, and totally unthinkable. But we humored him, knowing that chances are he'd forget about it by the next day and it would never happen.

Nothing more was said about it for a couple of days. Imagine my shock Saturday night when he announced that he had a busy day the next day. I asked what he would be doing, and he said, "I'll be cutting up that tree, that's what!" So Sunday morning he put on his jeans, work gloves, hat, and began the search for the chain saw in the garage. He finally managed to resurrect it from its greasy, dusty grave, began feeding it with oil and gas, and patiently pulling on the cord to start his reluctant forest friend.

I had a weekly blog to get out that day, but had to take intermittent breaks to check on Dean, who was alone in the neighbor's back yard, trying to start his poor, tired saw. I could hardly concentrate, thinking about him falling and lying over there alone with multiple lacerations on multiple limbs--not the trees', but his own!

My mechanic son-in-law assured me that the saw would never start, and we were counting on that to keep him safe. It was so sad to see him trying so hard to complete this one last logging feat though. As much as I dreaded hearing that saw start up, I found myself almost wishing it would, so I could see his face light up with joy and his hefty arms once more take up the saw and apply it to the wood all around him. We were both being transported back to another time, another decade, a newly married, young couple in the Montana Bitterroot Mountains.

But alas, it was not to be. As the day wore on, he finally allowed the saw to be taken over to our son-in-law's garage to see if he could perform some magic on it. But his final diagnosis for the saw was terminal. Dean's precious last link to his manhood is resting in peace once again in our garage.

Fortunately, Dean is taking the loss well. Our neighbor informed us that she has found someone to cut and take the tree, and Dean will never know whether he could have tackled the job or not. In actuality, his saw saved him from knowing...and saved him from getting hurt. I think I'll be hanging on to that power saw. It's a symbol to me of that Greater Power that we can rely on to get the job done, one way or another.

The Saw

my cowboy, logger, truck driver husband and I--sometimes I miss him

Who Ate the Peaches?

We have an ornamental peach tree in our backyard and the peaches are finally looking ripe. At least they are getting a pink color on them. I say "looking" because, they are still hard as rocks and taste extremely bitter. In years past, I just can't seem to get much of a harvest out of them. By the time, they become edible at all, the insects and birds have gotten to them. Besides, the ones that end up on the ground start smelling and are quite a nuisance.

But today I saw a squirrel feasting on a peach on one of the lower tree branches. I thought to myself, at least someone is enjoying them. It was comical to watch him whittle that peach down. It was like the first radishes we ate from our garden. Or the first watermelon we will get at the Farmer's Market here soon. He was thoroughly enjoying every bite.

I see now that something I didn't value very much, the peaches on my tree, are valuable to someone--those pesky little squirrels.

Likewise, the fruits of my labor may not seem very important, even to me. But someone is going to be blessed by them.

Here's a picture of the peach the squirrel left on my tree ornament. He was eating it right above sleeping grandpa here. Good way to "pass the buck".

Just a Tree

Thirteen years in this house and I've always wanted to do something with this tree in my front yard. My mom even hinted about it when she was still alive, suggesting that it would be a good place to plant hostas. But it's just been such a low priority with everything else to do around here that nothing ever got done to the tree. The weeds that took root and grew around the tree every year were always an eyesore. I tried planting some wildflowers once, but nothing happened.

Today my nephew and son-in-law, in an attempt to please me, got inspired to do something with my embarrassingly ugly tree. So they cut down the weeds, put some plastic down, then some mulch, and straightened up the border. Simple, inexpensive, and not even very time-consuming. But, oh what a difference it made to my front yard! Why did we wait so long?

Indeed, why do I wait so long to do many things in my life? Sometimes I do pull or cut down some bad habit weeds, but if that's all I do, it won't last. The decision has to be made, efforts have to taken, costs have to be paid, and remedial beautification work has to be done. It isn't always easy, but the result will make all the difference.

I'll undoubtedly be making beautification changes to my character till the day I die. Just as the housing projects will never all get done, there will always be character changes calling for my attention.

I'm keeping my eye on those eaves and gutters for the house before next winter, guys. Thanks for keeping this ol' house serviced for me. I lost my handyman husband, but gained a son-in-law and nephew. You are treasures.