The Planting, 2006
Oil on linen, 2' x 2' Magnolia Musings, 2006 Oil on linen, 2' x 2' June 19, 2005, On Saturday of Father’s Day weekend Sandra and I drove the pick-up to one of the local nurseries and purchased a Magnolia tree that had to be loaded using a forklift. Planting the tree that afternoon proved to be a challenge taking all the resources I could muster. With the help of my neighbor Dennis, my son Carl, Sandra, we we backed the truck up to the hole we dug and unceremoniously off load the tree. That evening the planting crew joined us for a meal on the back porch where the table setting included a single bloom from the tree. The first course was a large green salad taking advantage of the fresh home grown vegetables available at the local farmers markets. We enjoyed the first course while sipping wine, looking over our shoulders at the tree in the yard, and the moon light shimmering on the pool. Mid-June was a wonderful time in Maryland as it is when the longer days began to warm the pool and many of the trees, bushes, and flowers were blooming that year throughout the yard. The evenings were the perfect temperature for grilling and candle-lit meals on the back porch. The second course that night was grilled pork chops and onions, baked potatoes, and fresh green beans. That June also brought an unwelcomed guest, a ground hog whom I named Pat, as I didn't know if it was male or female. Pat decided to make its home along the walk way around the pool. The day before I was lucky enough to have humanely trapped Pat and Sandra and I carried it several miles away and let it go in a wooded area, only to watch it begin to walk back towards our house. During dinner my neighbor Dennis confirmed our worse thought when he told us that he had seen Pat earlier in the day coming up the road towards our home. Sure enough he returned to once again make his home by our pool. |