The Trees We Planted

There's a saying that goes something like this: A society grows great when we plant a tree in whose shade we may never sit.

Yesterday morning in the fog and drizzle...Paul and I drove Jenny and Dave around the greater Portland area.

They had seen some of the sights on their own...so we hit some they hadn't...and meandered through our old neighborhoods. The fall colors were near peak and the coast eerily beautiful in the fog.

We drove by our first house in Maine...the Foreside Community Church parsonage on Foreside Road in Cumberland.  We planted a cherry tree in the front yard that was a gift from the youth group.

Jenny and Dave had visited us at this home when all our kids were young. We all have good memories of those days.

We drove past our next house which was the first one we ever owned. 

Paul and I planted two small maples in the front yard and we were in awe of how big they had gotten. They were just started to turn. 

And we were completely gobsmacked with the fringe tree in the backyard. 

We actually thought had died the first year we planted it.....but it eventually leafed out and has grown into a show stopper. Maybe someday I'll knock on the door and ask to sit in the shade of these trees we planted.

 

We drove past our little weekend house in South Portland where we planted a couple trees in the backyard including a seven-son tree. We got a glimpse of it from the road. It's the same type of tree we planted at the corner of our patio at the condo. The white blooms in in South Portland have fallen and the pink bracts have appeared. You can see the South Portland tree in the middle of this second photo. 

Ours at the condo is just starting to turn pink. 

Jenny and Dave went on their way this morning....and I'm sure they will enjoy the trees other people planted as they finish their New England fall foliage tour.