Good-bye, old friend

Our area was the hardest hit by last night's violent storms. We had a hail storm that lasted nearly an hour. At its peak, the hail stones were golf ball-sized. Strong winds and rain continued most of the night.

When I stepped outside this morning, it felt like mid-autumn in the garden. Our trees lost a lot of their leaves and fruit. The roses are in shreds. There are dents on the roof of my car from the hail stones. But no matter. The family of baby blackbirds nesting in the wisteria around the front door seems to have survived, and somehow that's important to me.

My gardening friends J and B lost the grand old walnut tree in their garden. It came crashing down during last night's storm and flattened their magnificent rose walk. I went along this afternoon and had a bit of a cry seeing it lying on its side.

This tree, along with its partner - another walnut tree growing some 50 meters away - has become a part of my life over the years. Many autumns ago, during a very bleak time in my life, I used to go and rake its leaves and gather its walnuts. That simple activity seemed to keep me going from one day to the next, as did my friendship with J and B. Eventually the darkness passed. Our children have grown up climbing it and swinging from its branches. It has played a big role in hide-and-seek games and Easter egg hunts throughout their childhood. We've watched birds building nests and squirrels scurry up and down it. Its beautiful walnuts have gone into dozens of my cakes. I've given it hugs when I thought no one was looking.

If certain trees become anchors in our lives, this one has certainly been a constant in mine. Good-bye, old friend. I'll miss you.

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The same tree (on the right) last autumn.