Spring was in the air, a wonderful time of year even for a 10 year old.  Sitting on the front step waiting for Mama to come home from work, I enjoyed the sounds of birds in the trees, the smell of the fresh new grass trying to burst out from under the brown winter turf and spying the first buds peeping out of the ground that my Mother had planted last fall when she and Frank, my Stepfather, had finished building their dream home.

Just then Frank pulled into our large circular driveway followed by a truck loaded with small trees. “Christmas Trees” as I liked to call them.  As Frank’s hired men jumped out of the truck, my Stepfather started giving them orders.  Knowing the imminent danger of being put to work by Frank, I high-tailed it into the house.  However, it was too late, he had seen me and yelled, “Annie, get the black hose and hook it up to the out side faucet and bring it here.”  He pointed to a hole that the men were digging.  As I obediently went into the basement and lugged the big commercial size black hose out to the front of the house and twisted the coupling around the nozzle hoping the threads would catch, Frank walked our property marking the spots where he wanted the trees planted.  There were six trees in all. Cute little pine trees no taller than me.  Looking out at our wooded property, I thought to myself, “Don’t we have enough trees, why do we need any more?”

“Annie,” Frank shouted chewing on the tip of his unlit cigarette, “Bring the hose c’mon stop your gold brickin’[1] and get over here.” Seeing that he had a big grin on his face, I obeyed and pulled the hose with all the strength my little body could muster.  Frank lit his cigarette took a puff and laughed at me dragging the heavy hose with water splashing out of it and mud flying everywhere.  When I got close enough to him he reached down with his strong hand and took the hose from me, gave it an effortless tug and aimed it for the base of the first tree.  By that time my shoes and pants were soaked and muddy, I was starting to shiver but wanting to please my new Dad I stood by him watching the water accumulate.