...if only it could speak. I'm quite certain I spent time in this tree as a child too, just as Derek is here. I've climbed each and every one of the original apple trees that my grandpa cared for on his portion of the orchard which was located in his large back yard. I would estimate this tree's age to be at least 60 to 65 years old. There is only one row left of the old ones, the original trees. How sad to see them succumb to the effects of old age. Sixty is very old for a fruit tree. They still produce though, a testament to my grandfather's diligent care. I spent many hours in the orchards with him and he taught me how to prune and showed me how to graft. He was a bonsai master on a grand scale. I never learned how to graft but I can prune well enough.I asked Derek what it felt like to stand by a 60 year old apple tree and he said, "It's big!" I was just happy to see the fourth generation of tree lover standing next to this tree his great-grandfather took care of.
Amy, I know an excellent children's book for you! It's called Apple Tree Christmas by Trinka Hanks Noble. It's about 2 litte girls who played in their apple tree until it fell down during a bad winter storm. But don't be sad, they have a wise father who finds a way to keep their memories alive. You would probably love this story! 2 other tree books: Whisper From the Woods by Victoria Wirth; Only Opal by Opal Whitely and illustrated by Barbra Cooney. BTW, I love children's books and I collect them!
ReplyDeleteThank you for that suggestion Kathie. I have often toyed with the idea of creating a children's book, but I'd need an illustrator since I can't draw. When my son was little I thought about writing a book about him and call it "Derek's Day". Never made it happen, maybe I will when he's grown up. Do you have the book about Patsy Ann and the party she threw for her friends? It's a collector for sure!
ReplyDeleteI've always wanted to write a Children's book myself. It's tough to break in. Is that the title of the book you mentioned above? I have never heard of it. Let me know and I'll look it up!
ReplyDeleteKathie, I can't recall the title but it may have been something like Patsy Ann's Big Day. It belonged to my mom and I remember reading it when I was at my grandparents' house. It's very hard to find now. I tried looking on Ebay and only found one copy.
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