Thank You Berry Much...

With yesterday getting off to a rocky (and unnerving) start, it only got more 'rocky', so to speak.  In the area where we lost 16 trees from the winter snow, it's hard to replant things that are so small in comparison to what was there.  With a fence, employee area and storage trailer now exposed in view from the wedding area, there's not much I can do, within their budget, to create a barrier, but I did what I could. 

Like an angel, coming down from the heavens, Berry called me and brought me lunch, knowing what a shitty day I was having.  Having started planting some of them before he got there and running into a very rocky and clay-filled terrain, it made it awful to dig the holes I needed.  After lunch, like the great friend that he is, Berry rolled up his sleeves and, pumped up on his homemade southern sweet tea, and he went at it with me for about 4-5 hours and we were able to make some progress.  The Norway Spruce's had root balls on them the size of a large blow-up exercise ball, but with wet dirt replacing the air.  Weighing 200+ pounds (and having a conical root ball) it was extremely hard to get them where they needed to go, but somehow, we managed.  I lost another 3 pounds yesterday.

Like the Norway Spruce's that we planted, our friendship has grown from a seed to a strong root system and foundation able to support the growing nature of our bond.  He has turned out to be a tremendous friend and, as I'm seeing more and more, a quality person.  Not too many people would drop everything and jump into a project that was obviously hard, dirty and exhausting.  Most wouldn't have even shown up or would have ran out of there at the sight of work.  That jumping-in, no-questions-asked, it-takes-a-village-to-raise-a-barn mentality is something that I learned from my Dad... and I'm guessing that Berry learned that from his parents.  I'm happy to call him my friend.