Two Trees

Gundel shows a photo of her husband Bob, with a soaring Dawn Redwood tree that he had planted as a sapling in their Annapolis garden in 1968. It was his pride and joy, growing well past the tallest trees around it. After they moved here to The Kenney, Bob and Gundel enjoyed many walks in nearby Lincoln Park, and its many trees throughout. After Bob’s passing a year ago, Gundel continues to walk there and visit a Deodar Cedar tree with its mighty arm. Enjoy her heart-warming story below.

In memory, to you who still knew Robert Bowen…

The first anniversary of my Bob’s death was during the night from July 3rd to 4th at 1am. On Saturday, my little family gathered via Zoom in the morning, and on Sunday, Barbara and Bill came over in the afternoon to remember Dad by eating what he really wanted to have in his last months: Hamburgers from McDonald’s or hot dogs, with potato chips from the gas station store on the corner near here. Unfortunately, we don’t have a proper Wuerstchenbude (the German sausage booth), otherwise we would have gone there.

The photos: A five-minute walk takes me to the entrance of Lincoln Park to this enormous tree, a Deodar Cedar, with its mighty arm. That is my Bob-tree which I visit almost daily to soak up strength and calm. I lean against it, close my eyes, and let it support me. This tree, not far from the place where we committed some of Bob’s ashes to the earth, is my husband for me, the man who loved, planted, cared for, and knew trees. His pride and joy was the Dawn Redwood he planted 1968 as a mere sapling in the far corner of our Annapolis garden, where it had enough moisture to thrive. And indeed, when we left in 2019, the Redwood had soared way past the tallest trees surrounding it!

With love and hearty greetings,
Gundel