I’ve taken to calling it the tree of memory and life. We have two beautiful apple trees, one sits out by the pasture gate, the other sits back in the pasture, it has survived many years of grazing, horses, donkeys, and sheep.

There are a lot of memories buried around this tree now, tokens of our life here on the farm. Simon is buried on the far side of the tree, just down the slope.  Tess, our very first sheep is buried there.

On the near side, Red’s grave is there, the only one with rocks on top. And now Zelda, not far from him. I don’t want to see the pasture as a graveyard, I think we won’t be burying too many more animals on the farm.

If Lulu or Fanny should die before us, we will certainly get a tractor her and dig a huge hole for them. I like having those memories on the farm, it isn’t depressing to us.

In fact, both of us would be happy to have our ashes scattered here as well, but that’s a more complex decision. This old apple tree seems beautiful and wise to me, the centerpiece of our Field Of Memory, and a celebration of life.