Changing Seasons

We have a tall red maple tree in our driveway next to our house. When we moved here almost twenty years ago, this tree was short enough for my children to climb into the lower branches, and we would decorate it with lights at Christmas time. It soon grew too tall for these activities, plus we had to trim the lower branches to get our vehicles underneath it. Over the years we have had many fun times playing in the leaves and not so many fun times raking leaves! (My husband has a love/hate relationship with this tree!)

When we paved our driveway about five years ago, the paving company suggested that we remove this tree because the roots eventually could come up through the pavement. The foreman told us that it was just a maple tree that we wouldn't miss because they grow everywhere. However, this tree is such a special part of our lives that we couldn't destroy it, and we decided to to take the risk. So far, no roots are coming up through the pavement.

When we see the bright yellow blooms and watch the leaves unfurl in the spring, we know that the days are finally getting longer and warmer weather is on its way. During summer the tree provides a cooling shade under its lovely red leaves, and every fall the tree provides a beautiful shower of colors before going dormant in the winter. We have watched this tree change and grow over many seasons along with our family changing and growing. My husband and I now find ourselves at the empty nester season of our lives. The red maple has some cracks and wrinkles and is now covered in a gray moss, which is very similar to how we are starting to look!

I made this basket using natural brown and dyed red Long Leaf pine needles, brown artificial sinew, garnet Czech transparent glass pressed leaf beads and a red maple leaf pottery center.

Enjoy!