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In a few minutes, just 40 blocks south of here, the first game of the NBA Finals will begin.
My husband and son-in-law are likely already in their seats. Or at least standing in front of them, too full of excitement to sit. Waiting for the contest to begin. Waiting for the question to be answered: Who’s the best in the NBA? The HEAT or the THUNDER?
I wonder how many times they were stopped on the way from their car to the arena, by someone looking for a pair of tickets?
Though hoopla will not give way to hoops any time soon, I’m glad the wait is over. Because anything is possible. I do believe, I do believe….
Let’s go Thunder. Beat the Heat with a nice THUNDER shower, why don’t cha?
an everyday life 
You must be ecstatic that they did!
Thrilled. But at the same time, I know the Heat wants it just as bad. Funny how my header is a photo of our time in South Beach last February. And how since then, I think it was March, I’ve become acquainted with one of my father’s Vermont Greek-American cousins, who lives in …. yep, you guessed it: Miami. Tia and I’ve been having fun dribbling back emails between Miami and OKC. Today I learned she watches the games standing up — like me — with half an eye (like me) — to keep the stress manageable! Makes me admire the players on the court all the more — they do what I can barely stand to watch!
You know me – there’s no way I’m going to cheer for heat when there’s a chance to get a little thunder!
I understand that stress thing. I experienced a little myself, today. Once I get the photos processed and the events are over, I’ll be doing a post, but here’s the synopsis for you.
My town, League City, is widening a road. A Compton oak, over a hundred years old and planted by a town founder named Ghirardi, was in the way. They were going to cut it down. The peasants revolted. Pitchforks. Torches. A Facebook page.
Plans changed. They took bids, consulted, raised funds. For just $200,000, they could uproot the thing, move it through a pasture to a piece of donated land, where it could live out its days in a park.
Hess Landscape Construction out of SoCal came in with the low bid. They had to bring in bigger equipment. Once they pulled it through the prairie, they couldn’t get it to ease into its hole. Now it’s there. Great sighs of relief. It’s been out of the ground for several days, but watered, fed and all that. They seem to know what they’re doing.
Here’s one pic so you can see what we’re talking about. You can’t imagine what it was like, getting it out of the ground. Moving it, for that matter. Good gosh. Anyway – the Ghirardi Oak .
OK. One more time. Ghirardi Oak
Amazing.
Can’t imagine this happening ten years ago. That tree would have been toast. Makes me want to know why. What’s changed? Is it the power of thinking ‘green?’ The power of social media? The power of negative press? The power of positive thinking….?
I look forward to your write-up. And pray that huge tree will make it; Lord knows, transplanting any tree in summer’s high heat begs for more than a few thunder showers. I’m glad it’s in good hands. And that this year’s weather patterns are more favorable to its survival. Can you imagine it’s chances had the transplant happened last year? Timing isn’t everything, they say. But sometimes, whether for the giants in basketball and some giant Oak, it can separate winners from losers!
What’s changed? Here in League City, really nothing. It’s not the power of “green” or social media as much as an understanding of history, living links to the past in terms of families as well as trees, and a desire to maintain the primary identification of this town as a “town of trees”. Even the manhole covers have these beautiful oaks on them, and the parks are filled with oaks that were planted with acorns brought from Louisiana by settlers.
After all, who’s going to cut down something like this tree when you still have a direct descendent of the original Ghiradi’s stomping around town demanding a little respect for the trees!?
You would have loved watching them prepare the hole, too. Once the dimensions were right and the earthen ramps constructed, they went back in and “feathered” the soil to a depth of about three feet, aerating it so that the tree will just settle down into it once they’ve flooded it with water.
OK. I’ll stop. But I love watching projects like this – and this was far more impressive than anything involved with the shuttle.
Not surprised about your last comment. I feel that way every time I’m in the garden. Maybe the goodness we feel for caring about trees and life has roots in that first biblical garden.