Planting thank you trees

There is no better gift than the planting of a tree.

TJ planted me a tree for my birthday.

And I want to plant a tree for the donors to Flight.



So for every $1,000 we raise I am going to plant a tree at The Land.

Since we have now raised $2,000, today I planted two trees.

I went to Rural King.
OMG (Oh, my goodness!)

 It was like Walmart the day after Thanksgiving! Every red pick-up truck in New Castle was there (and that's a lot).

The trees looked nice.
But they won't for long.

On that hot dry pavement, not getting enough water, their roots will quickly wither and die.
There's a weeping willow there crying for us to raise another $1000.

But today we rescued two trees.

We bought the only sweet gum in the lot.
I love sweet gums.

In the fall when other trees have all orange or yellow or red leaves, the sweet gum has a crazy quilt of all the different colors on their star-shaped leaves.







And a dogwood tree.

I have always loved dogwoods since my Mother told me the legend...

You see, the dogwood was once the biggest, strongest tree in the forest.
But then one day the dogwood was cut down to make the cross to sacrifice Jesus.

The tree was so distressed at this heinous use of its wood that it cried out to God - Smite me down! I never want to be used so again!

And God did so.
He struck the mighty dogwood and made it a small, timid tree that grows in the shade of the others.

But at the same time, God gifted the dogwood with a bloom -
four petals like the cross with a drop of blood at each tip.

This is the right tree to plant the week before Easter.

Thank you, donors.