Tree-napping (odd childhood 1)
Accessories to "Tree-napping". Note the t-shirt under t-shirt look.
It’s strange that things you take for normal when your a little kid don’t seem that normal when you get older and compare your experiences with others, a good example of this is “tree-napping”. Tree-napping was a euphemism my mom used for digging up trees along the side of the road and replanting them in our yard. It happened a few times, there would be a need for some sort of shrub or tree in the yard and instead of going to the local shrubberers we would pack a few shovels and buckets into our ’74 green Ford Torino station wagon and head out. We would drive the quiet county roads of Monmouth County and when we’d see a likely candidate we’d pull over. Mom and dad, with military precision would dig up the shrub or small tree (making sure to leave a lot of roots intact) and put it in a bucket and we’d make our escape. According to my parents it was all above board, nobody owned those trees and nobody would miss those trees and besides we were going to give them a good home. I’m almost fifty now and I’ve never met anyone whose family did this.
It is coincidental you post this story, as I spent the weekend digging up hardy-looking saplings from vacant lots and replanted them around our new patio. I did it after nightfall though, was your mum a brazen daylight tree-napper?
Also I must comment on how much you look like Betty’s boyfriend in this photo.
That is all.
Out of curiosity, that was the survival rate of your relocated trees?
She was a brazen daylight tree napper. The survival rate was pretty high considering the sandy, shitty soil of West Keansburg.
Why is Star Trek boy wearing handcuffs? Did you tie him to said trees, call his mom and have William Shatner…?
yes, did shatner feed him to the GORN?
My uncle did a similar thing he referred to as “kid” napping. The kids in photo would not have to worry. Good considering they were busy thwarting the Palmer Ave t-shirt snatcher.
Good news on the survival rate, as our entire state is made of shitty sandy soil.
that is the best photo ever!
Ah HA! That’s where your pal, Sean, got tree napping from! We were out one night and he took a shine to a little evergreen shrub planted in front of Eagleswood Tavern in south Jersey. Dug it up and plunked it into the trunk…. a perfect Mother’s Day gift was ….born….er,……transplanted! They never missed it at the tavern. They had overcrowding of evergreens there. Probably would’ve died if he hadn’t saved it from impending doom!
“shrubberers” ~snicker~
ekki-ekki-ekki-pitang-zoom-boing!
(it had to be said.)…