Today’s Run:  5.13 miles

When I was a little girl, I had a swing set.  This swing set was set up underneath a Red Bud tree.  That was a wonderful swing set because I had a tree close by all ready to climb but I also had shade to play under during the hot Summer months.

This Red Bud tree was awesome.  It’s bark was loose and would flake off in puzzle shape pieces like a piece of Mica rock flakes.  I spent a great deal of time trying to put those puzzle shaped pieces of bark back together to make a picture.

It was perfect to climb.  It had three main branches that relaxed out and away from each other.  Perfect for a little girl to scootch up between the branches and pretend to float in mid air.

But the buds.  They were so pretty.  But they were purple!  I never understood why they named this tree a Red Bud tree when the buds were so obviously purple!?!  I decided the person responsible for naming the tree was color blind and it was not his/her fault.  They just knew it was pretty even if they had the color wrong.

I used to swing as high as I could on my swing set under this tree.  I would sing as loud as I could, each and every song I knew.  Probably drove the neighbors nuts.  My swing would go high, *squeak*, and low *squeak* and high *squeak* and back low *squeak* and I would still be singing away.

When my husband and I were back in town over the Summer, we drove by the old house.  I am sorry to say that the Red Bud tree has been cut down.  That is sad.  BUT…

Today, I was driving between Columbus and Starkville and I noticed that the Red Bud trees just started blooming!!!  How much fun is that!?!  So, when I was driving through town, I took a pic of one~just for memories.