Imagine My Surprise...

My dear friends, the Carter Family, gave Claude and me the starts to some trees for our hill. The suggestion from them was to save them through this winter. Then plant them next spring. Their experience from living in the country outside of Frankfort, Kentucky, is the deer love to forage on the little plants when spring comes. If we wait to plant them until all the green has started on the hill next spring, they have a better chance of avoiding 'deer demolition'.

Since the Carter Family has an abundance of these trees growing their yard already, I judged that I should follow their wise counsel and advice. I placed the trees on our deck for the remainder of the summer. I go out every other day and give them water.

Yesterday morning I happened to look out my breakfast room window and saw color!! I tried to process in my slow-moving brain why there was color there instead of green. Were the leaves changing color? Was there a hummingbird of bright color swooping around my little tree? Am I really seeing color?

Then I went out on the deck to check this out. Sure enough, the largest tree had a beautiful blossom on the top. What a thing of beauty and joy. I didn't get my camera until later in the afternoon when the flower opened up. Now you can enjoy it's beauty and I will also for may years to come.