This morning, I went into our backyard and took some pictures.
As I looked around, I suddenly realized how much our backyard had changed.
The small trees that I remember from about ten years ago are no longer small. They have grown and grown, and some of them are now taller than our house.
Standing there looking at them, I felt that I wasn't simply looking at trees.
I was looking at time.
Ten years ago, they were young trees.
Today, they have become part of the landscape of our home.
One Tree Has a Special Story
There is still one tree that always catches my attention — our big catalpa tree.
The catalpa grew right along the fence line between our house and our neighbour's house.
It has become a very noticeable part of our backyard.
When I look at it today, I sometimes think about how many seasons that tree has witnessed.
Spring.
Summer.
Fall.
Winter.
And, of course, the storms.
The Tornado and the Fence
Looking at the backyard today also reminded me of something that happened in 2022.
We had a tornado, and the strong wind blew our backyard fence away.
It was quite a sight.
A fence that had stood between the two properties was suddenly gone.
After the storm, we hired a company to build a new fence.
Eventually, the new fence was completed, and our backyard looked normal again.
But the trees remained.
And that is what I find interesting.
A fence can be blown away in a storm and rebuilt.
But trees continue to grow.
They quietly record the passing years.
Ten Years in One Picture
This morning's pictures made me think about how quickly time passes.
When we planted or watched those little trees growing years ago, I could never have imagined that one day I would stand in the backyard and see them towering above the house.
As an 80-year-old grandfather, I have learned that sometimes the simplest things can bring back the strongest memories.
A tree can do that.
A fence can do that.
Even an ordinary backyard can do that.
Our backyard is not just a piece of land behind the house.
It is part of our family story.
The trees have grown.
The fence was destroyed and rebuilt.
And we are still here, watching another season go by.
From My Camera to My Old YouTube Video
I also found an old YouTube video that I made about our backyard.
I want to keep that video together with today's photographs because it gives me a chance to look back and compare the past with the present.
Old YouTube video:
👉
The video shows a moment from the past.
Today's photographs show where we are now.
Together, they tell a much better story than either one could tell by itself.
A Backyard Is a Memory Book
Perhaps that is one of the unexpected gifts of getting older.
We begin to notice things that we might not have noticed when we were younger.
A tree is no longer just a tree.
A fence is no longer just a fence.
A backyard is no longer just a backyard.
They become markers of time.
When I look at those tall trees today, I can almost see the little trees they used to be.
And when I look at the new fence, I remember the day in 2022 when the tornado took the old one away.
Life keeps moving.
Trees keep growing.
Fences get rebuilt.
And Grandpa keeps taking pictures and writing down the stories.
That's why I call this Grandpa Journey.
I am not trying to record only the big events of life.
Sometimes, I just want to preserve the little moments that might otherwise disappear.
Today, it was my backyard.
Tomorrow, who knows?
Grandpa's thought of the day:
Trees measure time differently from people.
We see years. They simply keep growing.
Photos taken by Grandpa this morning, August 21, 2026.
树长得比我们的房子还高了
Grandpa Journey（爷爷之旅）的后院故事
今天早上，我走到后院，拍了一些照片。
我环顾四周时，突然意识到，我们的后院已经发生了这么大的变化。
大约十年前，我记得那些还是小树。
如今，它们已经越长越高，其中一些甚至已经比我们的房子还高了。
站在那里看着它们，我感觉自己看到的不仅仅是树。
我看到的是时间。
十年前，它们还是幼小的树。
而今天，它们已经成为我们家园景色的一部分。
一棵有特别故事的树
后院里还有一棵总是特别吸引我注意的大树——我们的楸树（Catalpa tree）。
这棵楸树就生长在我们家和邻居家之间的围栏线上。
如今，它已经成为后院里非常醒目的一部分。
今天看着它，我有时候会想：
这棵树究竟见证了多少个季节？
春天。
夏天。
秋天。
冬天。
当然，还有那些风雨和暴风雨。
龙卷风与围栏
今天看着后院，也让我想起了2022年发生的一件事情。
那一年，我们遇到了一场龙卷风，强烈的风把后院的围栏吹倒了。
当时的情景相当令人震撼。
原本立在两家房子之间的围栏，一下子就不见了。
暴风雨过后，我们请了一家公司重新建造了一道新的围栏。
最后，新围栏建好了，我们的后院也恢复了原来的样子。
但是，那些树还在那里。
而这正是我觉得很有意思的地方。
围栏可以被暴风雨吹走，然后重新建造。
但是树会继续生长。
它们默默地记录着岁月的流逝。
一张照片里的十年
今天早上拍的这些照片，让我想到时间过得有多快。
多年前，当我们种下那些小树，或者看着它们一点一点长大的时候，我从来没有想过，有一天我会站在后院里，看着它们长得比房子还高。
作为一个80岁的爷爷，我慢慢明白，有时候最简单的东西，反而能够唤起最深的记忆。
一棵树可以做到这一点。
一道围栏可以做到这一点。
甚至一个普通的后院也可以做到这一点。
我们的后院不仅仅是房子后面的一块土地。
它也是我们家庭故事的一部分。
树长大了。
围栏被摧毁，又重新建起来了。
而我们依然在这里，看着又一个季节慢慢过去。
从我的相机到我的旧 YouTube 视频
我还找到了一个以前制作的旧 YouTube 视频，内容就是关于我们的后院。
我想把这个视频和今天拍的照片放在一起，因为这样可以让我回头看看过去，也可以把过去和现在做一个比较。
旧 YouTube 视频：
👉 [在这里插入你的 YouTube 视频]
这个视频记录了过去的一个时刻。
而今天拍下的照片，记录的是我们现在的生活。
把它们放在一起，它们讲述的故事，比单独看其中任何一个都更加完整。
后院就是一本记忆之书
也许，这就是年纪渐长以后，一个意想不到的礼物。
我们开始注意到一些年轻时可能不会注意的事情。
一棵树，不再只是一棵树。
一道围栏，也不再只是一道围栏。
一个后院，也不再只是一个后院。
它们都变成了时间留下的印记。
今天，当我看着那些已经长高的树时，我仿佛还能看到它们小时候的样子。
而当我看着今天的新围栏时，我又想起了2022年那一天——龙卷风把旧围栏吹走的那一天。
生活一直在继续。
树木继续生长。
围栏可以重新建造。
而爷爷继续拍照，继续把这些故事写下来。
这就是为什么我把它叫做 Grandpa Journey——爷爷之旅。
我并不是只想记录人生中的重大事件。
有时候，我只是想把那些很容易被时间带走的小小瞬间保存下来。
今天，是我的后院。
明天，又会是什么呢？
爷爷今天的想法
树木用不同于人的方式记录时间。
我们看到的是一年又一年，而它们只是默默地继续生长。
照片由爷爷于2026年8月21日上午拍摄。
