Johnny Appleseed

Frankie has a new project. I think I've mentioned before that Frank is very passionate about anything he sets his mind to, almost obsessive once he gets an idea in his head.

One day he was browsing Craigslist (something he does often that leads to his brilliant ideas) and he found some giving away a free apple tree. All you have to do is come dig it up. He talked about this tree for days, sent me pictures, asked me over and over again, if I wanted an apple tree. Talked about the tree, where it would go, how good apples are, finally I said, if you wanna dig up the tree and spend all day doing it, I don't care.

So he calls the nursery goes there buys 100 lbs of compost and everything he needs to transplant this tree. He gets up early Saturday morning and digs a hole half way from here to China, because the hole has to be twice the size of the root ball and it's a ten foot tree, so it must be really big. Then he drives 45 mins. to the people's house and spends two hours on his hands and knees digging the tree out (he can't use a shovel because you don't want to damage the roots), then has to drive back, it takes an hour to drive back because he has a tree in the back of the truck.

Now keep in mind, our backyard goes straight up a mountain. It's terraced and the first level has real stairs, but the second level has rocks precariously placed to replicate stairs (thanks to our landscaper, that's another novel). We have decided to plant the tree on the second level, by time he gets back with the tree it only about 6 feet tall with a few small branches because he trimmed it back so much, so carrying the tree up the hill isn't the problem, he has to carry 100 lbs. of compost and another 300 lbs of the dirt that came with the tree. I'm not exaggerating when I say 300 lbs. He managed to get my friend's boy friend to come help him drag that up the hill. Two guys in very good shape could only lift this bucket of dirt one step at a time while trying to not fall back down the hill, the steps aren't made for two people and a bucket, they are barely made to fit one! So he gets everything up the hill that he needs and gets the tree planted. It's a cute little tree.

That's not the end, I guess he decided (really the nursery told him) that the tree needs to be protected from the harsh sun until it is established, so then he erects a canopy to go over the tree. Since he's planted this tree, the minute he comes in the door he goes straight out the back door and up the hill to check on the tree. Well, today he decided the dirt around the tree has formed too hard of a clay so as I right this, he is in the process of digging the tree back up and replanting it with something to make the dirt not clay. I hope this tree lives!!