Trees and Art

The apple trees that were between our house and our driveway are now gone. Wayne (DeAnne's step-dad) came by yesterday and cut them down for us. DeAnne's been wanting them gone for years now but I've been hanging on to the big one beside the picture window in our dining room because it basically shaded that entire side of the house from the afternoon sun. So the question is: what now? What do you plant to create a decent amount of shade in a short period of time. There's no telling what a summer with no shade on that side of the house will do to our power bill.

I was sad to see this morning that folk painter Woodie Long has passed away. My high school friend Chris and his family were old friends of the Long's and I had the opportunity to meet Woodie on several occasions. He was as nice a person as you could ever meet. He cared for and loved not only his family and friends but for everyone and he expressed that through his art. He could also play the dog out of a banjo. He may not be a national celebrity like Billy Mayes or Michael Jackson, but for me and a lot of people around this area he easily makes the list of celebrities that have died young this year.

That's all I've got for today. Have a good Wednesday.

--Paul