Old Apple Tree

The old apple tree at my farm is twisted and gnarled and bent and broken, but it is still alive. I don’t know the tree’s exact age, but I do know the first settler on my farm, Tom Stewart, arrived on these acres in 1867, and I’m assuming started an apple orchard shortly after he came. He was from New York State, and many early settlers brought apple trees with them to plant in this new place.

We have owned our farm since 1964 and have marveled at this old apple tree from the day when we first saw it in full bloom. A few years ago we thought it was on its last tracks, it had but a few blossoms, a major limb had smashed to the ground, and it was a pathetic sight. But as it turns out, this was only a setback, a brief unhappy experience, as the tree developed new growth and continued on.

This year the old apple tree is covered with blossoms, more than I ever remember. The tree is making a point. Just because you’re old doesn’t mean you can’t show off a little.

THE OLD TIMER SAYS: Some trips are two steps forward and one back. Better this arrangement than the opposite.

June 2, 7:00 p.m. Luck Library. Campfires and Loon Calls.

June 7, 7:00 p.m. Galesville Library. Horses and Barns.

June 24, 6:30 p.m. Patterson Memorial Library, Wild Rose, WI. Fundraiser featuring Campfires and Loon calls.

June 28, 5-7 p.m. Fitger’s Bookstore, Duluth, MN. Book signing, Campfires and Loon Calls.

June 29, 2-4 p.m. Cherry St. Books, Alexandria, MN. Book signing, Campfires and Loon Calls.