stanley plum

a month after my first grandson was born (11 years ago), my son planted a plum tree in his honour. "stanley" became almost a member of the family. we marvelled at his blossoms in the spring. i sat and read under him for shade in the summer. and we got baskets of plums from him each fall. in the winter we watched the birds at the bird feeder that we hung from his branches. but half-way through his short life we began to notice black rot (a disease pervasive to fruit trees in this area). we cut off limbs that were infected. each year there was more and more and we realized that it was also up through his trunk and probably in his roots (when you leaned against him, he tottered). i didn't want to watch his blossoms come this spring and then cut him down. so yesterday keith hauled him down. his roots were so diseased that it was no problem getting him down without even chopping. the yard seems empty without him. we'll plant another plum tree on the far corner of the yard and this time try not to get attached...