Anyone else reminded of a young Marge Simpson? Or, maybe a Dr. Seuss character who has a long forehead and tall hairdo topped with a cute barrette?

While pedaling Tilda-Hilda (my pink cruiser of a bicycle) along a zig-zagging back road, I happened to glance up. I sure am glad I did. Today, I'm taking part in the meme Trees & Bushes , hosted by NatureFootstep. Click here to see works by participants from around the world.

The tree on the right is the Miracle Tree. If you look closely, you can see the Mama behind the rose bush. The First Husband gave the Mama a package of seeds that a Native American tribe had sent him as part of a fundraising campaign. Mama, always the curious horticulturist, sowed them in her backyard. From those seeds grew the Miracle Tree, which today is more than 20 years old. It would be monstrously huge  if the Mama did not cut it back nearly every year. She can't stand the idea of the branches hovering over the roof or even being near the gutters. No matter how much it gets hacked back in the late fall, its branches are full and ready to provide sufficient shade for the summer heat. During its early years, the Miracle Tree produced a lot of seed pods. Let me repeat: A lot of them. The seeds are flat and shiny and difficult to clean up once they're on the ground. Every year, Miracle Trees sprout some where new in the yard. Most times, the Mama pulls them out. T

Molly the kitty Cat and I never know what we're going to see in the Mama's backyard. The other day, I shared with you the roses . Today, uhm,  the apple trees in their naked splendor.