My Bonsai Tree–Finally

Last weekend Richard and I travelled south to Melbourne, Florida. We had been invited to help celebrate the wedding of an old friend and colleague who we got to know during our time in Naples, Italy.  Bob is also a Harley guy.  In fact he infused Richard with the desire to get his first Harley, and he also made a three day motorcycle trip with Richard from Naples, across Italy to Bari, then on down to the “boot” of Italy and back up to Naples.

Since we have been here in Jacksonville, we have hooked up with Bob to go watch a shuttle launch from Space View Park in Titusville a couple of years ago.  Rich also hooked up with him back in February of this year and they braved the bitter cold of an un-Florida like night to see a night launch actually on the NASA site down at Cape Canaveral.  Unfortunately that launch was postponed and neither of them could make it back for the following night when the launch finally took place.

So it was with great pleasure that we accepted the invitation, along with about forty other people, to join Bob and Angelica in the celebration of their union.  We drove down from Jacksonville on the Friday afternoon.  It was a gorgeous day and I think we said “it would have been a perfect day for a ride on Harley” only about a dozen times!  When we got there we quickly discovered that many of the guests were retired navy and/or Harley folks!

The wedding ceremony, which was held at 6.30pm in the lovely open courtyard of the wedding venue, was short and sweet.  Angelica looked as beautiful as any bride should and our dear friend Bob was obviously very happy and, even though he said he wasn’t, he seemed quite nervous.  Friends were asked to give them advice or share special thoughts with them before the minister, another friend, declared them man and wife.  I told them, “don’t stop dating”.

The rest of the evening was spent socializing and enjoying a lovely dinner.  The DJ was great and spun some good “old music” as well as playing guitar and singing himself. Some of us even managed to get up and boogie a little.  The cake was duly cut and eaten and,shortly afterwards, we headed back to our hotel for the night.

On Saturday morning we got up slow and easy.  After breakfast we packed our bags and headed out to go visit Bob and Angelica in their home.  As we turned onto A1A heading south to Grant, we noticed a Bonsai nursery to one side of the road and made a decision to stop there on the way back.  And so, a couple of hours later we found ourselves in the company of Mr. Feng Gu who proudly showed us his trees and explained the art of Bonsai.  It was absolutely fascinating.

Well after looking at all the different types of trees, Richard said, “so pick one Babe”.  Oh sweet music to my ears.  I have so wanted a Bonsai tree for many years.  But it wasn’t one of those desires that I had ever spoken out loud.  In the bigger scheme of things owning a Bonsai was not a pressing need.  It was simply a secret desire.  Yet here I was, just a choice away.

Some of the trees were quite expensive but Mr. Gu was very patient and kind and showed me a small tree in a beautiful cobalt blue dish. My soul leapt but I was a little hesitant because it was bare; exquisite trunk, branch, and root growth but no leaves.  Mr. Gu explained that he had just recently pinched all the leaves off, which needed to be done twice a year to encourage the tree to produce smaller leaves than normal but in proportion to the size of the tree itself.

My heart was captured and the deal was done.  I had my tree, and while I was waiting for Mr. Gu to run my credit card, I noticed he had two baskets on his desk with miniature clay Japanese figurines.  So I picked out a little wise man reading from an ancient scroll.  He had a long blue robe of cobalt blue which perfectly matched the dish of my newly acquired Bonsai.  So there he stands, among the roots of my tree which, by the way, is already full of minute new green shoots .