Eight years

Today it is eight years since Nicolas was born. Happy birthday sweet boy....words seem, as always, so inadequate.

I'm not sure these pictures are any better though....this year his tree looks lovely because his dad gave it a very thorough and attractive pruning.
This thorough pruning was necessary because the poor tree is under severe attack from a nasty pest known as oystershell scale...and indeed i have doubts that the tree will live through it, applications of caustic pesticides notwithstanding. Sigh. Well, we will try our best, and that is all we can do.