My two crabapples are in full glorious bloom today. It is hard to believe that I brought these two magnificent tres home in the backseat of my car. To be exact, I brought them home in the backseat of a 1984 Mercury Marquis. It was my company car when I worked for Donnelley Directory. One day in 1985 after finishing work in the Lower Burrell area, I stopped at the Montgomery Ward store for something and picked up these trees up for a song during their clearance sale in the fall. That weekend, with the help of my father-in-law John, I planted them in the yard.
Now, 36 years later, the Mercury has turned to rust and disappeared, I no longer have the job, my company is no more, Montgomery Ward is a memory and my father-in-law died 21 years ago but the Crabapples are still here and the Crabapples are still beautiful. I am not sure how many more springs I will be around to see the Crabapples bloom but I find it reassuring that nature goes on whether we are around to see its handiwork or not.
