You don't know what you've got, till it's gone.

This post is in memory of our Front Yard Tree, who had to leave us on May 1, 2012.

FYT, we hardly knew you. We met you in June of 2010 when we were apartment shopping, and your spreading shade was part of the charm that invited us to sign the lease of this little apartment. We don't know how old you were or what variety of Maple you were, but you provided us with shade, piles of leaves to play in, and helicopters with which to bribe Miles up the stairs. Oh, and this moment:

Miles and Abby, Nov. 2010

Now all that remains of you is a brief stump, in which we can see the rot that the tree man told us was killing you. We can see, too, where the worms crept to the heart of your trunk. But we can also see the pattern of rings that demonstrate your life of growth, though we don't have the skills to interpret them. FYT, you were a solid good tree and you will be missed. As Miles said, "Bye bye, tree. You were my friend." (Yes, he really said that. Be still my heart)







Still, Miles is quite happy to climb what remains of FYT.

And to play with its other remains. He'd just said, "Yoot. I a Wi-No!"

 Mum and Adele look on from a now overly-sunny front yard.

                           Miles and Papa do a creative homage/father-son totem.

Sorry about the massive photos on this one; Blogger's giving me some grief today. BTW, what do you think of the pictures our new Kodak camera takes?