JUNIPER

Painted simply because it holds memories of living in Colorado. It covered the property of CBX where we used to live and work. I made live wreaths from it. Picked the hard berries when I’d hike through it, sometimes eating one or two. It made my husband’s eyes swell. And how many times did I watch our lab use its low-hanging bushy branches to towel off after a lake swim? Its berries, which aren’t berries at all, can’t decide between blue or violet but always wear a fragrance I love.