I Like Sitting Out There

I do not think it is possible to go to a Home Depot only once. Whether one's fixing something or starting a project from scratch, a second trip to pick up something is always necessary!

Today, I drove twice over the Patullo Bridge to the Home Depot in North Surrey. I can almost see it from the apartment but driving there puts several miles on the odometer. I first went just to pick up a cedar tree. The day started off so warm I took off my shirt while sweeping the balcony quite early this morning. We're south facing, so if there's going to be winter sun, it streams right in. Then, by the time summer really comes, it's high enough in the sky so it doesn't get hot inside.

When cleaning, I thought it'd be good to get a cedar tree. I spend a lot of the summer sitting outside. I even have a slide show of more than a hundred pictures on Flickr. Years and years ago we had a cedar tree and although a mess, it's a little nice to look at greenery up close. I remember when I brought one home, maybe ten years ago, sparrows made a nest in it. They weren't too bothered when we came and went. We watched the brood hatch, grow up, and fly away. I'm not quite sure how the parents were able to find our tenth-floor balcony from the sixteen on this side of the building. Even the lowliest birds and animals are blessed with gifts we can only begin to fathom.

Unfortunately, the tree I got this morning had bigger roots than the old plastic pot I had planned on using. I broke it trying to pound the tree in. Of course, that meant a second trip to the Home Depot. I bought a 20" pot so the roots will have plenty of room. This kind of plant really isn't made for a balcony. I know that it won't last forever. Hell, at $20 if it lasts the summer, I'll be satisfied.