This morning, I went into our backyard and took some pictures.
As I looked around, I suddenly realized how much our backyard had changed.
The small trees that I remember from about ten years ago are no longer small. They have grown and grown, and some of them are now taller than our house.
Standing there looking at them, I felt that I wasn't simply looking at trees.
I was looking at time.
Ten years ago, they were young trees.
Today, they have become part of the landscape of our home.
One Tree Has a Special Story
There is still one tree that always catches my attention — our big catalpa tree.
The catalpa grew right along the fence line between our house and our neighbour's house.
It has become a very noticeable part of our backyard.
When I look at it today, I sometimes think about how many seasons that tree has witnessed.
Spring.
Summer.
Fall.
Winter.
And, of course, the storms.
The Tornado and the Fence
Looking at the backyard today also reminded me of something that happened in 2022.
We had a tornado, and the strong wind blew our backyard fence away.
It was quite a sight.
A fence that had stood between the two properties was suddenly gone.
After the storm, we hired a company to build a new fence.
Eventually, the new fence was completed, and our backyard looked normal again.
But the trees remained.
And that is what I find interesting.
A fence can be blown away in a storm and rebuilt.
But trees continue to grow.
They quietly record the passing years.
Ten Years in One Picture
This morning's pictures made me think about how quickly time passes.
When we planted or watched those little trees growing years ago, I could never have imagined that one day I would stand in the backyard and see them towering above the house.
As an 80-year-old grandfather, I have learned that sometimes the simplest things can bring back the strongest memories.
A tree can do that.
A fence can do that.
Even an ordinary backyard can do that.
Our backyard is not just a piece of land behind the house.
It is part of our family story.
The trees have grown.
The fence was destroyed and rebuilt.
And we are still here, watching another season go by.
From My Camera to My Old YouTube Video
I also found an old YouTube video that I made about our backyard.
I want to keep that video together with today's photographs because it gives me a chance to look back and compare the past with the present.
Old YouTube video:
👉
The video shows a moment from the past.
Today's photographs show where we are now.
Together, they tell a much better story than either one could tell by itself.
A Backyard Is a Memory Book
Perhaps that is one of the unexpected gifts of getting older.
We begin to notice things that we might not have noticed when we were younger.
A tree is no longer just a tree.
A fence is no longer just a fence.
A backyard is no longer just a backyard.
They become markers of time.
When I look at those tall trees today, I can almost see the little trees they used to be.
And when I look at the new fence, I remember the day in 2022 when the tornado took the old one away.
Life keeps moving.
Trees keep growing.
Fences get rebuilt.
And Grandpa keeps taking pictures and writing down the stories.
That's why I call this Grandpa Journey.
I am not trying to record only the big events of life.
Sometimes, I just want to preserve the little moments that might otherwise disappear.
Today, it was my backyard.
Tomorrow, who knows?
Grandpa's thought of the day:
Trees measure time differently from people.
We see years. They simply keep growing.
Photos taken by Grandpa this morning, August 21, 2026.
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