When it’s full, the pepper tree in our front yard is a natural umbrella. It drapes over the yard and creates an oasis from the intense summer heat that Santa Clarita is blesses us with. Every other year, the branches are cut back and the glorious canopy is “destroyed.” Our backyard has been in some stage of “upgrade” for almost two years, so the front yard is where we hang out.

I adore our pepper tree and I complain each time my wife decides to do it. Of course it always grows back, better and fuller, but I’m not a fan of this stage of the growth process. I’m only a fan on days like this, when time doesn’t permit me to get to one of my favorite sunrise or sunset spots, and the trimmed limbs provide a foreground for the sun colored clouds. It’s just one more reminder that perspective is everything.

Jeff Turner

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