The Grand Girl always likes to have a project going. Since she would be visiting, I decided that it was time to act on my vision for the four used tires someone deposited in our ditch last year.

It turned out that her little hands were not strong enough to work the spray paint cans, but she was a trooper and kept me company.

Her job was to draw me designs to put on the tires, from which I made stencils. She chose the sun and moon on her own. I drew the apple.

She pretended to be a flower so I would know how pretty these would be. Then it was time for her to go home.

I cut the stencils out of contact paper. I have to admit, this was the boring part. Then I spray painted over the stencils. The tires are stacked because it kept raining and you can’t paint a wet tire. The stacking kept the top tires dry.

My admiration for graffiti artists grew by doing this project. “Golden apples of the Sun; Silver apples of the moon.” William Butler Yeats is probably turning in his grave.

Clyde loved flowers. If ever told of my scheme for used tires, he would have shaken his head and said, “That girl is crazy!” But he would have devised a means of keeping the flowers watered. Irene always wanted something decorative for the entrance to the driveway. She also liked the color turquoise. Anything bright and cheerful. So here’s to you Summa and Bucka! [No Used Tire planters allowed at the cemetery, so these will have to do.] And no, I don’t want any more tires left in my ditch.