by Phyllis McCrossin
It’s Saturday. And it’s cold. But there is the promise of spring in the air. I can look out the window and see a green haze in the trees. Spring colors, while not as vibrant as fall colors, do put on a show for those who are perceptive enough to watch it happen.
On our campsite is a dawn redwood sapling. These trees lose their needles in the fall (deciduous conifers). When we arrive in early spring the tree is bare and rather dead looking, but upon closer inspection one can see the early signs of buds. Today, as I look at it, there are definite green needles forming. It’s always a good harbinger of spring… along with the daffodils that proliferate in yards and roadside ditches.
The dawn redwood is fast growing, but is one of the shortest of the redwoods, reaching a height of 165 feet. I’m going to guess the tree on our campsite has grown at least six feet (maybe more) since it was planted three years ago.
Kal Haven Outpost campground is new, they opened in 2016 and have been building and making improvements since. Part of that improvement project includes planting trees and native Michigan plants. The drive from the campground store to the campground itself is lined with a variety of saplings.
I can picture the shaded drive it will provide in years to come and then, morbidly, wonder if King and I will be around to see it when it happens. King hit 70 this past December, I’ll hit the milestone in 2026. While I see no reason to not be doing this for another 10 years, I will confess I do tire more quickly than I did five years ago.
Sometimes that’s a bitter pill to swallow. Then again, just because we tire more easily does not mean we can’t still enjoy life… it’s just a slower pace. And that’s not all bad.
Though it’s cold we have had a few warm days. And a few more are promised this coming week.
King has already started tending the small patch of “yard” we have on our campsite. I’m glad it’s not bigger. We will also be adding flowers along the side of the trailer. Mostly it is to hide the ugly underneath of the trailer.
I think it’s my sense of sensibility or something. Anyway, I’m going to try, once again, to grow tomatoes. I used to have an entire garden dedicated to tomatoes and spent weeks in the fall making salsa, tomato paste, dried tomatoes, tomato sauce and spaghetti sauce.
Now, I can’t seem to get even one plant to grow in a container. It’s rather disturbing. I found some containers on Amazon that are made specifically for tomatoes. I will be ordering some for us and for our son. I have my doubts that the containers will magically make tomatoes grow, but I can hope.
It’s a small cry from the acres and acres I planted and tended when King and I first retired and were caretakers on a hobby farm not too far from here. But I think it’s just the right size for us at the moment.
Stay happy and healthy. Be kind.
