Sunday, July 6, 2014

Arbor

There was a band called The Arbors in the Sixties that had some cover songs, even a minor hit with something called "A Symphony for Susan". They sounded a bit like the The Association, no instruments, just melodic singing.  Anyone remember The Arbors? Didn't think so. Why do I?

Arbor Day is the last Friday in April every year. Go plant a tree! Most people think tree planting is a good idea, but we plant trees anytime we get the urge these days.  We don't need to be directed. Once my Dad brought over two small pine seedlings he got from a local bank. We planted them Easter Sunday morning in 1978. They were both 6 inches high. Today, they stretch, just off the deck, to about 60 feet. Amazing!

My grandparents had a white picket fence with an arbor situated in the middle of their backyard. I used to climb and swing on it in my more energetic days. Looking over my shoulder at her, my grandmother would just smile and shake her head. Her little monkey...
One small word 'arbor'.
Remarkable, where it takes you.

20 comments:

  1. Arbor is one of those old fashioned words that brings back lots of great memories to me.

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  2. A beautiful picture along with your memories. Arbor would take me back to my alma mater in Ann Arbor.
    Your pines grew that fast?!
    Young Israel covered every bare hill with pines in the early days. Today we realize the mistake of monospecies forests. The pine trees grew fast but were shallow-rooted and toppled over easily. In a forest fire the exploding pine cones are like hand grenades popping and rapidly spreading the fire.

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  3. I like looking through the arbor here into the garden beyond. I wonder why April was chosen for planting trees when most trees actually do better if planted in the fall. Hmmm. Maybe we know better now.

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  4. love that the pines flourished!

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  5. Memory associations! Fascinating!

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  6. I am ashamed: I have never planted a tree! Worse: I have no idea how I could ever realize something like this! I have to ask some friends with a garden...

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  7. I've found over the many years that we've been here it's quite important to find out exactly how big a tree grows before you plant it.. Have made a few bad choices :)

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  8. Honestly, that warms my heart...I do remember my parents planting trees...& me planting "Christmas trees" at my old home, Frasier firs that grew so fast...
    A childhood memories: climbing the neighbors apple tree when he wasn't home...grin...

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  9. It is amazing where one word can take you in your memories. I've experienced that many times. Love that garden shot.

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  10. Makes me think of red roses!

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  11. If that's your garden, then I love it. If it's someone else's, I love it too.

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  12. My parents had one of those at their place in our cottage country.

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  13. At an ambitious point earlier in my career with a big Earth Day anniversary coming up I conceived of a tree-planting plan that I offered schools all over my community if they'd combine it with a Project Learning Tree educational program. I pulled together lots of volunteers, raised funds, and got trees donated. In the end kids planted 113 trees at a dozen or more schools and I couldn't see straight for months. But planting trees is now one of my favorite things to do. It feels so positive and optimistic ...and trees are beautiful.

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  14. My daughter came home from first grade with a seedling and insisted that we plant it. To humor my little sweetie, we put it off the porch in a garden plot where I figured it would not be noticed in the brief time until it died. 25 years later, it is perhaps 40 feet high. She comments on it every time she visits, so I don't think I can have it taken out.

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  15. Several trees are planted at our farm each year. Most recently more apple trees.

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  16. Very nice

    http://grooveshark.com/s/A+Symphony+For+Susan/6DKope?src=5



    ALOHA from Honolulu
    ComfortSpiral
    =^..^= <3

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  17. No clue about The Arbors. Why did they use the plural rather than singular? The Association, definitely. Cherish is a word that I use to describe . . . What a bunch of hooey.

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  18. Loved your memories about 60's music! Will have to try to listen.

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  19. I always love your stories. :)
    Hope you had a great July 4th celebration.

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  20. I like all those wild arbor associations, esp. the swinging boy . . .

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