At sunrise yesterday morning, our weather was cool (46ºF or 8ºC) and beautiful – a perfect time to hang out at the Tree of Life.

With the glow of sunrise glistening, Typhoon hangs out at the Tree of Life.

Frankie and Cheoah emerge from behind the tree.

Hu-dad calls that breakfast is ready.

Except Cheoah wants to enjoy the perfect morning a while longer. Her breakfast will wait.

For our newer readers, a quick explanation.  Our house (and, actually, the house before that as well) was built by the grandson of the founder of the 1,000 acre ranch that is our neighbor (and is still owned by the family).

One day, his mother told us that our high altitude field was created back in the Depression when her father wanted to keep his ranch hands fully employed.  He created many make-work projects and one of those projects was clearing this field for future pasture land.  For some long-forgotten reason, he chose to leave the single maple tree in the field.  Some eighty years later, we are thankful for this majestic tree that centers our field.

With this history, we found it a fitting location for the ashes of Kodiak and Rusty.

And that is why we call it our Tree of Life.