“The RoseBouquet”

On Sunday morning when I came out the back door to go to my car for church, I was surprised to find a huge tree branch lying on my garden and blocking my path. Whoa! Where did this come from?!

I managed to step over rows of vegetables to the right (in my yellow patent dress shoes) and get a better look from the other side. It appears that during the night this large branch broke up way up near the top of my biggest tree, and fell down on the electrical wires to the house, and from there bounced around and landed - in what is the spot in the garden where it could do the least damage.

It was so big however, that I knew I’d never be able to carry or drag it away as it was. I was grateful when I realized that my electrical wiring had not been torn apart, for that might have caused a house fire, and that it really was not going to waste the better parts of my gardens. So I went off to church.

Yesterday after supper I was changed into work clothes and went out to see what I could do about it. I fully expected that this could take me several evenings to clear up and might use up the time I normally allowed for watering the garden.

It turned out that the smaller branches on it were really quite dry, dead twigs and sticks. They broke off easily in my hand. So I began to break and gather up an armload and then I carried them to the shady spot behind my shed, thinking that I must find someone who needs kindling for camp fires. Lots of ‘em! The big heap began to shrink as I carried away one armful after another.

Suddenly a stranger called out from the street over on the other side of my neighbours, “Hey, you need some help there?”

I looked over and decided he looked harmless enough, and seemed to be sincerely interested, so I explained that it had fallen down sometime early Sunday morning, and that I was just doing what I could. (I was hoping my neighbours might come out to help). This man offered his help, and I decided to accept, so I opened the back gate for him.

Suddenly the breaking off of branches was going much faster. I mentioned that I had an electric Skil saw but wasn’t sure if I dared use it. I thought I also had a handsaw. He suggested I go find that, and he’d cut it down for me. I had to hunt it in my basement because I’d re-arranged things … but I came back out with it, and the man who introduced himself as Chris began to cut the thicker part of the main branch down. Parts of it were as thick as my leg.

I considered running in for my camera but he was done in no time.

A lady stood by the gate watching, and he said it was his aunt. He was going to take her out for supper at the Granada across my back alley. I went to speak to her and she said, “Oh, it’s just his nature to be helpful.” She didn’t mind waiting at all.

I was amazed. I still had time left over to water the gardens and flowerbeds after that.

So when did a stranger last stop to help you out?