June 26, 2008
We love our Mulberry tree. We almost lost this tree in the crazy October storm a couple of years ago. The trunk was split and the branches drooped to the ground. Our Mulberry tree takes up the right half of these pictures. You can see how it was totally bent in half:

Thanks to my Mom:
and her ability to give it some TLC (some serious pruning,) the Mulberry tree is now thriving again. Of all the things that were damaged in that storm, Stew and I found ourselves having the biggest emotional reaction to the tree. Every year the tree would bear fruit and feed the robins that made our yard their home. Also, every night while Stew played fetch with Abraham, Ellis would lay on the driveway, eating the Mulberries that dropped to the ground. The tree holds a lot of happy little memories. We are so thankful that it has remained alive and healthy.

This past week, the Mulberries have ripened. In usual form, we find Ellis snacking on the fruit as his brother gets a good evening of exercise. I introduced Gabriella to the delights of the Mulberry tree tonight. At first she winced and spit the fruit out. Ellis, our overweight and dependably hungry Golden Retriever, snatched up her discarded berry. I continued to offer her the berries and after a few times of spitting them out and Ellis wolfing them down, she discovered that they actually taste pretty good. It wasn't long before she pointed to the tree and yelled, "More!"
It made my heart melt. By the time we came in for the evening, she was a dirty purple mess. She was also the newest Loewy to adore the Mulberry tree.