Crab Apple Trail

It's been a relaxing, mainly not leave home few days. Yesterday, I had to go out to pick up an online order from Kohl's. The only store they had it in stock was one that was not close, so I drove 20 minutes or so to pick up my market umbrella (there was an online, pick up in store sale where it was  $34 instead of $100. While I was out on this brief trip, I stopped at Joannes and picked up some fabrics so that I can FINALLY work on my daughter's T-shirt quilt. The fabrics of course, being half off. 

Today was my once a month ladies of the church lunch bunch. Twas a good thing I got half priced fabric yesterday because I went well over my normal lunch routine-the normal specials were not available and even though I had water, my calamari appetizer, salad and dessert was twenty five dollars. Another reminder of why my other gals group prefers to do weekday lunches. After walking about 3500 of the necessary ten thousand steps to burn off said dessert (tonight we are having deli chicken and steamed broccoli and I will be avoiding those mashed potatoes), I drove the long way home so that I could see the trees. 

My tree is aged and on it's last legs. I love it so I pray it will continue to live!

I have a crab apple tree in my front yard. I have a crab apple tree in my backyard(half crab and half regular apple, actually). In fact, as the picture through the the front window shows, the neighbors across the street have a crab apple tree.

Young trees that have been planted more recently along the route.

I live along what is known as the Crab Apple route. Temperate as Denver is, there is always the occasional freeze in early may for a single night, so in the ground planting is not done until around the fourth. Forty years ago the city fathers of what was then a little burg decide to beautify and they chose crab apples, because they blossom before all the other trees have leafed out. This weekend is one of the last when said crab apples will be in bloom in full, if you will. About ten years back, some folks in our suburb created a "route". While this might seem frivolous, this enabled them to get things like federal funding and grants to plant more trees and replace them as they age out.

My walking abilities, no longer me to walk on such a long trail, which goes all over our town and suburb, but a slow drive gives you an idea of just some of the early may beauty.

Of course, eventually those beautiful flowers hit the ground, to be ground into pink smallness by the lawn mower. And then, the trees leaf out. And crab apples appear. Crab apples which eventually fall on the ground and sidewalks. To be eaten by squirrels and rabbits, but also to be crunched and smooshed under the feet of dogs,  small children and adult walkers.

Spiced crab apple pickles anyone?