the tree-wherin I notice, watch, examine and appreciate more ordinary things because of Charlie.

The tree out of Charlie's window is a beautiful tree, filled with robins and turtle doves and a family of squirrels. The robins wake him up every morning. The turtle doves make sounds like owls and say "hoo hoo." The squirrels freeze on the branches until Charlie has had his fill of looking and then scamper up and away.

Under the tree is the garbage dumpster where, Monday and Thursday mornings, the garbage truck comes to collect the trash. It is a complicated process. We watch it all. And then lean to the left to watch its back end turn up the street. Charlie waves because it is, after all, going "bye bye."

Still leaning to the left you can just see traffic out on the road. Lots of cars go by. And there are buses and trucks and firetrucks from the fire station around the corner.

There's also a dog that we can't see across the street that barks a lot. It makes Charlie run to the window to look. Sometimes dogs go by on the sidewalk too. If they aren't already barking, Charlie barks for them.

The tree's branches wave in the wind. When this happens, Charlie blows out the screen at the tree too. He does this because I told him once that the wind was blowing. He does not blow neatly. He blows enthusiastically. He blows until there is spit dripping down his chin.

Now, don't you love Charlie's tree too?