The green glow arrived Saturday on my street. At the beginning of April I always look for that glow that trees get just as they leaf out. That ritual started on our second trip to the hospital April 16,1965, to see if Susie was ready to face the world. On the 13th the trees were bare and she decided the time wasn’t right. We headed back on the 16th through the green glow for a second try and happily she decided it was time. So this is the 48th spring I’ve carefully watched the trees.

This afternoon I gave my first tree talk of 2013. After a wonderful lunch and fun conversation I stood in front of a fireplace and began my talk to the Hamblen Park Garden Club. This was my second time as speaker with this group; the first was in March, 2006 when there were 22 trees in the Susie Forest. Twenty of them were in the city of Spokane and two in Bothel, WA. There were no trees in Spokane County or across the country or around the world. It was fun to talk about the growth of the Forest. And I told the ladies about how the tree planting ceremony evolved with additions and ideas from the people who participated. Then I ended by telling the stories of some of the trees. It was hard to stop because every tree has a story. Maybe I’ll be invited back in another seven years with a much bigger Forest to talk about.

This was a delightful afternoon – now I have to get ready for an auction Saturday evening.