I am so thankful for the giant black gum tree that drapes over our house like a beautiful guardian. It’s at least 50 years old – maybe more – and protects us from the elements. It allows us to wait longer after the change of seasons to turn on the air conditioning and heating. Yes, it makes for a lot of yard work, but it’s worth it. Looking out the windows of our bedroom is like living in a treehouse. It’s home to scores of birds; just the other morning, two avid bird watchers were out front with binoculars peering up into our tree for at least an hour. Chris joked that they were trying to catch a glimpse of him. I dared him to go out and say that, but he declined. They said they had spotted warblers and another type of bird (I can’t remember what), which I guess is pretty special.
I initially named this tree Betty, after the woman who lived here before us. The house is over 100 years old, and we’re only the third owners. We moved in in 2001, and the woman we bought it from lived here for only five years. Before that, it was Betty the whole time. I’ve since found out that Betty wasn’t really all that nice, so I sort of stopped using the name, but I do love this tree. She’s every bit as part of this house as the walls themselves.
My Corner of the Village 