Survivor's Song

Neighbor's Vegetable and Flower Plot

It snowed every day from January through early March this winter past, or at least that's the way I remember it. I do know for sure I was able to rake my roof of snow by standing on the snow banks in front of it, no ladder needed.
My neighbors said, "We've earned summer, this year."
Today, we got the first installment. Blue, cloudless sky, low humidity, seventy degrees, nice breeze, the sort of day which, in my mind at least, feels like this only in New England.
It's the contrast that makes it feel so intense. 
Winter was worth it. 

I have two illegal trees in my backyard, which have filled out this spring, as if in answer to the winter trial.  They are Norwegian red maples and when I moved to Hampton,  New Hampshire, I noticed these trees all around town, in front yards, in front of churches, on school grounds, deep maroon leaves, luxuriant foliage, shade trees. But the people at the local nurseries told me they could not sell these trees which are illegal to sell in the Granite State. Apparently, horticulturists from the University of New Hampshire testified at the State House in Concord these trees are an "invasive" species. The owner of the nursery shook his head, "They are just about sterile. How could they be 'invasive?' I think they just don't like purple trees at UNH."

I told my neighbor this story and a few weeks later got a phone call from him. He had spotted three Norwegian maples at a local big box hardware store. Apparently, the trucks which deliver trees to this chain store, which has stores all over the nation,  come from far afield and whoever loaded this truck did not know the laws in New Hampshire and the kids who work the garden department in this store had no idea what they were selling.  Did I want to ride with him in his truck and go pick them up? Fifteen minutes later we had the trees in the back of his truck and were flying down Route 1 with our eyes on the rear view mirror looking for the tree police. We knew what druggies must feel like when they score a really sweet hit.  

I planted them in the back yard to be less visible to the New Hampshire tree swat teams.  My neighbor put his in his back yard, too. No sense tempting fate.
They are flourishing this summer.  God is in His Heaven and red maples have taken root, against all the efforts of the state to prevent it. Life has prevailed. Green life. Well, more like red life. 

Live tree or die.