#18: Name the trees that stood in the neighborhood where you grew up

Um…I honestly don’t understand this assignment.  Am I supposed to draw a diagram and point out where the maples were? (Were there maples?)  Or am I supposed to, like, name them?  Good old Bob, he was one heck of a tree.

I am sort of an aspirational gardener (as in, I aspire to be competent at it) but as a kid? No clue.  I don’t actually know what kind of trees are in my yard right this very second, and I am basically looking at them.

Green ones?

Tall ones?

Ones with lots of leaves that I will need to rake soon?

Bob?

Where I really grew up (5-16) we lived in a townhouse community.  There were trees, sure, lots of them.  One in our backyard.  Maybe a dogwood? Lots in the woods. I vaguely remember climbing some.  I wasn’t good at it, too scared of falling…too uncoordinated to be sure I wouldn’t.

We rode bikes without helmets. We waded in the creek (there were trees around there for sure…not sure what kind.) We walked around in the woods (also, obviously, trees were present.)  I assume there were oaks, because there were acorns.

I’m kind of proud of myself for knowing the whole acorn <-> oak connection.  That’s a little sad.

Like I said there are trees around my house now.  Sometimes I point them out to my kids.  When the dogwood blooms.  When the neighbor’s magnolia is dropping petals all over the place (I think it’s a magnolia…I may be dramatically misinforming them.)  I am guessing most of the time they aren’t paying attention.

When they are adults and you ask them to name the trees in the neighborhood where they grew up, I am pretty sure you’ll get a blank stare.  They might say, “Names? Like, Bob?”

They get that from me.

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This post is part of a series inspired by prompts from the book 642 Things to Write About by the San Francisco Writers’ Grotto.  If you want to play along, write your own post (on your blog or other online forum) and post a link in the comments.  I’ll add “shout-outs” at the end of my post and on the Keep Swimmin’ Facebook page to anyone who shares a link.