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Day 19: A tree for me
So far this month I have planted a tree at an animal shelter, a homeless shelter, a shelter for abused women, for a nursing home, along major roads, in neighborhoods, at an art museum, at a school, in a park in memory of someone who battled cancer, and at a TV Station. I was excited about each one the trees because of the purpose they would serve, but today was just a little more special.
Today's planting was in Holiday Park. You can read about all the great things at Holiday Park in the blog I wrote a few months ago for Indy Hub. 10.5 years ago I had my first date with my wife there. 9 years ago it is where I proposed my wife. So today, when the rain finally broke, Maureen and I headed out to Holiday Park to plant a Blackgum (Nyssa sylvatica). So, though I have been excited about all the plantings, this one had a little extra meaning for me.
To top it all off, my dad joined Maureen and I at the planting (his second one this month!) along with Andrew from KIB, and Andrew's dog Sula. I really don't have anything more to say about today's tree other than it was great.
I do want to take a step back to yesterday. At my planting last night I was assisted by Jackie Hogan (10), Jillian Hogan (9), Jenna Hogan (7), Joey Hogan (5), and Jeremiah Hogan (3). They helped me dig the hole, make sure the tree was straight, fill in the hole, do a tree dance, cover the tree with mulch, and water the tree. The best part was that when we were done, Joe asked if he could help me plant another tree. It was so much fun, and a good chance for them to learn. They were all very interested in the root flare and making sure we didn't cover it up.
So you may be wondering what a tree dance is. It is a dance we do around the tree after filling in the dirt to make sure there are no air bubbles. The best way to understand it is to see it: Here is a video of it (with a really bad song I made up)
