My Favorite Trees

Turns out it's not Arbor Day today unless you are in Vermont. Each states sets it's own date for Arbor Day. Lets pretend we're in Vermont. Happy Arbor Day Vermontonians! In honor of this special day, I want to tell you about some of my favorite trees. I have picked out trees over the years and become attached to them. Sadly, one of my favorite trees died several years ago and has been replaced by another. This tree was a beautiful pink crab apple tree on Main Street in Anoka between 5th and 6th in front of St. Stephan's School. I first noticed it when I was marching with the Girl Scouts in the Halloween parade. Several kids were perched in the branches of the crab apple so they could get a better view of the parade. For me, it was a Norman Rockwell moment. The tree was surrounded by asphalt parking lot/playground. I was amazed that a tree could survive such harsh conditions. It might have lived longer in a grassy area. Another favorite tree is a tall elm on the east side of 35E just north of the Maryland Street exit. This tall elm stands like a dutiful sentry at the top of a high hill, silently observing. I've kept my eye on this tree for about 20 years. It's still doing well. Another favorite tree is an award winner. This is a red pine in Itasca State Park. Not just any red pine. Oh, no,this beauty is the tallest red pine in the state. You need to take the Wilderness Drive to find it. The park map points it out. Another favorite is an white oak tree on south side of Highway 10 just east of the Hanson Street intersection. The building used to be a real estate building, then a bank and now it's an insurance agency. Oaks are my favorite tree. I admire their gnarliness. Typically imperfections are not treasured for their beauty. Bumps and bulges are to oaks what smoothness and symmetry are to a cover girl. My most recent favorite tree is growing on the right side of the entrance ramp onto Highway 10 from Coon Rapids Boulevard. This is another white oak. Behind it is a storage unit the navy blue garage doors. I had to pull up along side it to take the picture without shooting through the windshield (you didn't want me getting out of the car on the entrance ramp - too dangerous). So you really can't see what it looks like driving up to it. There is a cavity about 5 feet off the ground and long grass (20 inches long?) is growing out of the tree trunk. So as you drive up you see a beautiful, healthy oak tree with a tremendous crown and arms uplifted with grass growing out of a pubic area. Trees don't really have pubic areas but this one does. I think it's a very sexy tree.