My Tree

I have a favorite tree. It’s in my home town, and I have loved this tree since childhood. I used to beg my parents to buy the house that had this tree in the yard. They never indulged that one, but we drove by it all the time. The reason I love this tree is because in fall the colors are amazing. When I was younger I knew when the tree changed to yellow, and then to orange it meant that Halloween was coming, and when it became fire red, Thanksgiving was coming.

When I went to college my mom would take a Polaroid of this tree every fall and send it to me with the usual police blotter/engagement announcements of people she thought I might know. All these years later I will call her in the fall, and ask her if she has gone by my tree. I love Texas, but this time of year I miss the colors of fall. Especially the colors against the small town I love with picket fences, bed & breakfasts, and white church steeples. So in this digital age she went to my tree and sent me this picture.