What's 13 feet tall, likes birds, and lives in my big flower bed???

One day last Fall, when I was visiting Howard, I happened to see this limb laying on the side of the highway to Sunspot.

It was love at first sight.

Howard thought I was crazy, not to mention

the fact that the rangers get a little irritated when you take wood out of a national forest without permission.

So last week I got permission.........and it was no easy matter either. I had to tell them EXACTLY where the limb was located...... and promise that I only wanted that ONE limb. It took 25 minutes to fill out all the paperwork.

This newest member to our backyard measured 15 feet from top limb to bottom. It took both of us to get it into the truck, but we did it! A little tying here and there, with a cute little flag hanging from the end, and we were off!

Howard's just pretending not to be as excited as I am............