The pinecones are forming, and have been for some time now. Conifer or cone-bearing trees are plentiful in this area. I have to admit, I was never a huge fan of them. I loved the mighty oak and was a fan of all the different kinds of Maple trees. I planted a peach tree in every house I ever lived in, it was sort of my thing.

When I moved to the Washington, DC area, I was very aware of having naked trees for the winter. It happens. We all are aware the trees lose their leaves in the autumn and they won't get them back until the spring, not a day sooner! It isn't too bad because all of the trees are like this... Except for the pine tree. It remained beautiful, all year round. It did not have a vacation for the winter, it just remained loyal to the cause. It still provided shelter for God's little creatures, How could I have overlooked its value?

It took me a while, but, I soon became obsessed with the pine tree, but, not for the reason that I thought. When this house was being built, the only thing my eyes could see was the colors of spring, giving way to the summer trees, the flowers bursting forth and making the season all the more beautiful. It was perfect. I was pleased with my choices.

Until

Autumn came and took my leaves away, leaving a hole in my landscape. That is not true, there was no hole, the entire landscape was bare. Naked. Nothing to show for landscaping. I finally took the time to really look at the landscape in the area and I noticed something I had never noticed before. Most of the landscape was anchored with some type of evergreen tree, something that didn't shed its leaves in the winter. I am in the process of reinventing my landscaping in the yard, getting more evergreens, and shifting the other trees/shrubs. I didn't put all of my landscaping in when I moved here, I like to grow into it, It works better for me that way.

I found flowers that spread everywhere you allowed them to. That is okay, it made a nice blanket of beautiful. Blooming all season, if you cut them down and deadhead, they will be with you until the frost. Sometimes, a little frost doesn't scare them. They are in for the long haul. Looking for something ferny and prolific? I will send you some Yarrow. Then you can pass some on and on until we have covered the earth with a little bit of love. That is how easy it can be, people. Don't fight it. Flowers. Always. To color my world. #alwaysaflower.

I am bringing in a picture of this tree to the nursery I go to. Surely there is something I can add, subtract or simply do to make his life a little bit nicer. He is a handsome fella, he just has had a rough life lately. The bark is like skin, a protective layer and essential to their life. It is unique to them, even if you think it looks similar, it isn't.

All I have are my words, armed in my mind, written in pen, stand by stand. Oh, yes. Still by hand. It has a different feel. Altered not by keys, backspace, and delete, I write, erase, tear it to pieces and start all over again. And again.

Some days have more hours in them than others, which sounds impossible, but, it is the truth as I know it. Have you ever had a day that just won't quit on you? I am not prejudiced, good or bad, it has got to end sometime, yes? A grilled Rueben, just because I could and always because it is good. It is always the right time to have a little sanwich.

The Road Not Taken

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I -
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Robert Frost