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the story of my Rescue Tree

November 14, 2018 By Talya Tate Boerner 12 Comments

my rescue tree

This is the story of my rescue tree.

Four Years Ago

When we first moved to our home in Fayetteville, we had the trees professionally trimmed. We also hired a crew to build a fence around the back yard. Both the tree and the fence folks wanted to take out a particular tree—a sapling really—that grew along the proposed fence line beneath the canopy of taller, more mature trees.

That little tree wasn’t hurting anyone. She was barely taking up any space. She was a youngster, a bit spindly and slightly misshapen, but I knew she was a volunteer sugar maple planted by a red robin or a spring wind or one of the many squirrels constantly digging for his supper.

I insisted.

So the tree stayed.

We live in the Ozark Mountains surrounded by forest. Plants don’t grow in a perfectly straight line. Real life isn’t a paint-by-number picture. Weeds and wildflowers thrive in harmony along a hiking trail. Fungus forms a ladder along a tree trunk. Mushrooms grow in mulch. Beetles devour roses overnight. The messy wildness is what makes nature…nature.

It’s not about what it is, it’s about what it can become. ~ Dr. Seuss

Fast Forward

my rescue tree

And the tree grew.

This fall my rescue tree is the brightest spot in our back yard. Partially hidden behind a dogwood tree, she watches me from the kitchen window and occasionally waves her golden arms. I talk to her each time I walk to the back forty to dump egg shells and potato peels in the compost. (Back forty as in yards rather than acres.)

My rescue tree!

See her?

tree

Now, after a growth spurt, she can peer over the fence and all around. From inside her sunshiny leaves, birds flit and pesky squirrels taunt Lucy and Annabelle.

Sugar Maple - my rescue tree

In this life, it’s easy to feel as though we have no real say about anything of importance. But we do. With each seed planted, each word spoken, each decision made. By some cosmic, spiritual, serendipitous miracle—believe what you like—we’ve been gifted this world to share with critters and habitat.

Yes, I’ve been known to rescue plants—perennials marked down to fifty cents at Lowe’s and chrysanthemums tossed to the curb after Halloween for Monday morning trash pickup. And on a winter day once upon a time not that long ago, I had my say over a tiny tree.

And the tree is happy.

?

Grace Grits and Gardening
Farm. Food. Garden. Life.

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Filed Under: Nature & Seasons Tagged With: fall color, sugar maple, treehugger, trees

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Comments

  1. Sheila Kratz says

    November 14, 2018 at 8:03 am

    Beautiful in every way!

    Reply
    • Talya Tate Boerner says

      November 14, 2018 at 8:47 am

      Oh, thank you friend. Great to hear from you!

      Reply
  2. Barbara Tate says

    November 14, 2018 at 8:38 am

    I am happy that the tree is happy. It is beautiful. People don’t grow in a perfectly straight line either. Each decision we make in life turns us, twists us, leads us in all different directions. Sometimes we take detours. Just saying.

    Reply
    • Talya Tate Boerner says

      November 14, 2018 at 8:48 am

      The BAT speaks the truth…

      Reply
    • Colene says

      November 14, 2018 at 10:13 am

      More beautiful words of wisdom!

      Reply
  3. Colene says

    November 14, 2018 at 10:12 am

    First of all it doesn’t seem possible that it has been five years since you made Fayetteville your permanent home. Beautiful words you have written here!

    Reply
    • Talya Tate Boerner says

      November 14, 2018 at 1:05 pm

      I went back and looked. I think it’s only been four years. Oops.

      Reply
      • Colene/Tom Chebuhar says

        November 14, 2018 at 1:15 pm

        Oh, I really didn’t know. Seems like only yesterday.

        Reply
  4. Cathy Voight says

    November 14, 2018 at 10:32 am

    Best story I’ve read in quite a while! Thanks for saving the tree.

    Reply
    • Talya Tate Boerner says

      November 14, 2018 at 1:01 pm

      Thanks Cathy!

      Reply
  5. Herb Sennett says

    November 14, 2018 at 4:42 pm

    Okay, Talya, you got me right in the aorta with this one. I just love how you humanized a sugar maple for me. And I can honestly say that I would never have thought about that in that way. God bless you for being a blessing in my life. Hope all is well with you. Published my third novel. I’m on my way to prolific unknown.

    Reply
    • Talya Tate Boerner says

      November 15, 2018 at 7:05 am

      Hi Herb. Thank you so much. I look forward to seeing you next spring at HP!

      Reply

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Hi! I'm Talya Tate Boerner. Writer, Reader, Arkansas Master Naturalist / Master Gardener, Author of

THE ACCIDENTAL SALVATION OF GRACIE LEE (2016)

GENE, EVERYWHERE: a life-changing visit from my father-in-law (2020)

BERNICE RUNS AWAY (Now Available!)

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