Two columnar maples are new to the yard. They're young and slim and just now about 12 feet high. Adorable. Here come the leaves after the seeds have formed.

Wikihow.com claims that maple seeds are edible. They are in fact a treat whether cooked, raw or dried. These more desirable small seeds from young trees are more delicate, sweeter than larger seeds from older, more mature trees. The seeds need to be extracted from their helicopter shells. Taste them raw to see if they tend toward bitterness. If so, more preparation is needed.

It's difficult to have a favorite tree, but columnar maples are topping the list for trees that conserve land space. The small footprint, the narrow profile, the beautiful bark, beautiful leaves, spectacular color display in autumn -- all is combined into this amazing tree, the maple. Columnar or not, living amongst the maples is just a fun way to live.

In the late afternoon, lounging after the sun has left the side yard, it's like fishing, sitting peacefully in the shade, comfortable, quite, watching, waiting, wondering with thoughts to and from no place in particular, gazing at the two new columnar maple trees. New to Reno, these trees, so far braving the Reno weather, digging in quite well, their first spring in this final location. What better life than leisure to watch the trees grow?