I grew in a quiet suburb in Burr Ridge, IL where the streets are lined with trees. Yet one tree always reminds me of home.

I love my tree in my backyard because it leaves a path in the yard. It is a tall tree that leaves shade in the path.

A cottonwood tree is rarely anyone's favorite today. It is not disease resistant or strong, plus the female tree spreads fluffy seeds everywhere in the spring.

I went to you for solace.

     Eighty-nine degrees, a sweltering August day in Chicago.  No soothing breezes moved the air. The curtains hung damp with humidity.

The sticky summers of my 1950’s youth seemed more extreme than those of today. Back then we didn’t have air-conditioning in homes, cars, or even most businesses.

The elm tree on our parkway in Villa Park was my reading tree in the 1950s.

In the United Kingdom, in 1979, I moved to a rented house in a town that was designated a "New Town" a new town built from scratch and absorbing four or five small villages.

Jonathan was my first child. He was born with a rare genetic disorder called Trisomy 13.

It was the last time I would be with my mom at her home in Glen Ellyn. She was under the Horse Chestnut tree that had been so carefully planted in the parkway longer ago than I can remember.

My first trip to the Children's Garden in 2005 with grandson Adam, five years old was a delight.  As we entered this amazing garden we were given a plastic bag that contained a tiny blue s

Sometimes you might see me in a tree. What am I doing in a tree?  I might be climbing. When you see me climbing, you might see me holding onto branches.

In 1978, my parents bought their first home. It was on Apple Street, a name about as idyllic and all-American as it gets, and perfect for two teachers starting their lives together.

After 60 years, our silver maple tree had to be cut down. It was damaged and hollow in some spots and we were afraid a high wind would cause it to fall on our house.

Many years ago, my wife and I started saving spare pocket change in a coffee can, figuring we'd have some beer money to play with every so often. 

Ever since I can remember, my father, a former biology teacher, taught me to love the outdoors. In high school, I developed a love for trees. I can thank my former AP Biology teacher for that.

We moved to Warrenville three years ago because we found a large wooded lot, a change from our small lot in another community. The wooded edge of the property was thick with invasive plants.

We live in Park Ridge, and when our kids were little we had a tradition of having lunch outside after church every Sunday.

Trees do much for the existence of life on our planet, and they are also a visible history of time.

When I was growing up in Glen Ellyn, there was a beautiful big hawthorn tree on our corner. As kids we climbed this tree, branches for each of us.