When we found out we had to move, we knew we wanted to leave B-town (aka Burnaby) and go back to East Vancouver. We hoped for an affordable, preferably lovely bedbug free home, with a bit of space, not owned by slumlords (which, in Vancouver, is a near impossibility these days... but that's a whole other conversation). We looked at lots of places on gorgeous tree lined streets that were overpriced, cold, rundown, moldy.. which I found so sad since I could tell that, at one time, these houses had been homes, filled with love and respect but now had fallen into uncaring hands. Three days before we were meant to leave for a week in Alaska, I found yet another posting for a home that seemed to have promise. I basically stalked the the landlord for 24 hours and he told me we could come and see it the next day. We were not the only ones there for the showing, and we all walked into the 'home' (inhabited by 4 twenty year old men), and were met with a disgusting disaster. It was hard to see the forest for the trees.. it seems every one of those boys owned 4 couches and an aquarium long devoid of any life but filled with water and muck nonetheless. Beds in closets (ah remember those days..), I won't even go into the state of the bathroom, and they collected their 30 or so pizza boxes between the wall and the very old gas stove (a perfect place for oily paper products..;)). Right, back to the point. The inside was a nightmare and overwhelming, but charming and hopeful. However, when we stepped outside, I saw something that made me turn and say to my man:" let's take it babe". The Apple Tree.
It was summer when we moved in and it was just a big, beautiful, leafy mama. There was so much to do in the house that there was not much time for her though and the kids were a bit intimidated by the mass amount of bugs that enjoyed the unkept tree as well.. So Autumn came and apples started to fall.. Lucian, The Apple King, of course ate many of the fallen apples.. bugs, bruises and all. The rest of us were sorely disappointed by the taste.. they were yucky really. Again, the house was requiring so much work that I didn't think, as I was composting bushel after bushel of apples, that there must be SOME reason that apple tree had stood for so long.. I thought I might try an apple crisp with the last of the apples just to give it another chance. And as the house filled with a most delicious aroma of apple, a light bulb finally went off in my head.. Could they be baking apples?? Well, they are. Such delicious baking apples. Oh how I felt a fool.
When the cold winds of fall blew the leaves to the ground, Eddie gently pruned her away from power and clothes lines and got rid of some suckers, balancing her weight more evenly. He even cleared a perfect spot for a certain someone to climb and sit.
Over the Winter, (as I had hoped) Sage found a quiet space for thinking, listening to birds, getting away from his brother and of course monkeying around in this sleeping tree. Meanwhile, Lucian became the Lorax of all things slimy.. poor worms, and Edward began fulfilling a dream of becoming an urban farmer.
One day when walking home from taking Sage to the bus, I noticed something on the tree...
Spring has arrived! In that moment something crossed my mind that I had not considered before. Two beautiful words that would force me to stare at her daily in anticipation: Apple. Blossoms.
When would it happen?? I felt like a child waiting for Christmas. This week, my gift arrived. (these pictures span approx. two months)
I don't want to leave my home these days.. (And fortunately, I am suffering from quite a brutal lung cold, and my little one hurt his arm, so there is no need to go very far..:)) I'm soaking it in... and sooo looking forward to watching the apples grow.
I realize that she doesn't have a name yet.. must rectify that.
Happy Beltane everyone and find a reason to smile today:)
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