tree mulching day

 we took the christmas tree to washington square park to be mulched today. 

 chanda and i are too sensitive, and always find it sad to see all the trees lying along the edge of the sidewalk, so we make an effort to bring the tree to the mulching station in the park.

 i finally just looked in my field guide to research what kind of christmas tree we had. i have a branch in front of me, and from the flattish spray and the way the needles grow out singly, directly from the branch, it appears to be a balsam fir. the needles are soft and about 1/2 to 1 1/14 inches long. when i crush them, they have a strong piney scent, exactly what my book says on page 111. (i also know that balsam is one of the nine types of trees maple row tree farm carries!)

 we're lucky they finally started putting them through . .

 

 i think these beautiful trees are a type of larch or true cedar . . the needles grow out in clusters of ten to sixty from spur twigs (small round branchlets off of the main branch).

 this is the ugly building recently built at astor place that i've found something nice about: it's reflection of the older buildings surrounding it.

 twenty first century astor place with mudtruck and citibikes . . 

twenty first century chanda . .