My Other Family Tree

About forty years ago I planted this tree at my home in Ashland, NH and its survival is something of a miracle. In its second winter my children clipped off the top with their sleds. Four years later we had a torrential rain and my neighbor, an oil dealer had his parking area uphill from my yard. The rain brought his oily driveway residue into the base of my tree, so I had to dig it up, clean off the roots and set it in a brook that runs through my property. After a week or so I replanted it. Some years later we had another deluge and the tree was underwater for two days. About twenty-five years ago our home burnt down and the tree received damage on one side. We then moved to our present home, about six miles away and as I was landscaping I decided to rescue my poor tree. I planted it in my front yard but the first winter my snowplow-man was about to plow snow onto it. I caught him just in time. Now you can see the tree in all its glory. Much like life, perseverance is a key ingredient.