I mentioned before that I really like Arbor Day.
It is different in Iraq, because there really are no trees. I’m kidding there are some trees…but not many.
Regardless, of whether I have trees here or not Arbor day is a historic and vital day of environmental awareness. I am not a historian, but Arbor Day is probably the earliest recognized day to focus on the environment.
Being in this environment, I have truly come to love my country–more so than ever. The mountains and the valleys, the rivers and the trees. It is something I took for granted for many years. I’ve always liked the outdoors, but I was never in a place that had harsh summers and no shade from that heat.
This morning, I woke up to a dust storm. I got out of bed and but my Physical Training (PT) uniform on, laced my shoes, and opened the door to an orange glow all around me. Tree would have helped this. By holding onto the storm and by breaking up the wind trees would helped. But, again, there are no trees.
Be thankful for what trees you have and this Arbor Day–take a moment to plant a new tree to replenish those that are dieing. See ArborDay.org for more information.