A Woodsy Story

I have this story to tell.

Its a true story.

All about me and the Farmboy and our forest.

I love to write, but the thing is, this story has taken such a long time to develop, that I've been having a hard time deciding how to put it into words. Just a weensie bit overwhelmed by the winding trail that I somehow need to string together to catch you up to speed.

So the other night, as I was stirring a pot of dinner on the stovetop, when it started to come to me, I quickly plopped my laptop onto the counter and started to bang away at the keyboard in between stirs.

It goes like this...

It all began innocently enough. Two young people, each raised with a love of nature and woodlands, they had found each other and together began tending their own patch of forest.

One day a flier arrived in the mail inviting them to attend Tree School at a local college. It was to be a one-day affair, classes ranging from Silviculture 101 to Chainsaw Operation for Women, and everything in between. Were they in? You better believe it.

Each early Spring afterward, they eagerly awaited seed catalogues and the arrival of the new Tree School brochure. They spent long happy hours carefully selecting their classes, then completely enjoying the day once it arrived.

But it wasn’t enough. Each time, they left at the end of the day, inspired and eager to put their new knowledge to practice, but wanting more. So when the opportunity arose for them to take a more in-depth course that would last for several weeks, they couldn’t sign up fast enough.

The instructor of their class, an expert Forester and Woodland Manager, would go on to fondly refer to them as his “star pupils”. Praise which made them beam silly grins of pride.

Over the ensuing years, there were two children born to the not-quite-as-young-anymore people. Life became so busy that Tree School was no longer an option, and days spent tending their woods were much fewer and further between than they liked.

One Summer day, they got a call from their old instructor asking if he could stop in and see how their trees were faring. Of course they were happy to show him all of the improvements and developments on their parcel of land. Real dirt roads, a bridge, and a growing family of beavers changing the creek bed.

He must have liked what he saw on that visit, for a few short days later he called to ask if he could nominate them for an award. Surprised and amused, they thought it sounded like a fun opportunity and said to count them in!

Paperwork was prepared, a forest tour with local experts was conducted, and a few months later, they somewhat sheepishly sat down at a banquet table to find out what new direction their story might take.

There they sat, surrounded by a hundred and fifty fellow lovers of the forest, and watched a slide show detailing five different properties, including their own, that had been nominated.

At the end of the presentation, one by one, the nominees were called up to accept a plaque to commemorate the evening. The pair sat and waited for their names to be called, but four others were called first, leaving them surprised and pleased and feeling a bit bowled-over when they were awarded the title, “2012 Woodland Farmer of the Year”.

“For many years of passionate land stewardship toward multiple-use tree farm goals including wood, wildlife, and family values.”

THE END

Well, not really the end... Only the end of Chapter One. Who knows what Chapter Two will hold!

Even the Mighty Fall

Do you remember my favorite tree? The one that I said our Beaver Family had been nibbling on?

That was November. We have been watching the winter winds blow and the snow pile on, and the rains fall. Each time the gusting winds passed through, you could find us standing at our window, watching it sway, knowing that it has been eaten within an inch of its life, waiting, hoping, to actually SEE it fall... and yet still it stood.

During the night, this past Thursday-into-Friday, the winds blew again, but this time out of the East. And that was all it took.

One glance out my window that morning, and my breathe caught.

The kids and I took an adventure that morning, to investigate.

You'd think they planned it out... every potential variance of weather and wind. Gnawed only from three sides, rather than all the way around.

It fell *exactly* across the creek, and just downstream from their dam.

Not too far from the tip of that other tree they felled.

For nearly 13 years, this tree has entertained me.

That is twice the length of time that the Cottonwood of my early years captivated my climbing and imaginary play.

Silly, I know, but I am sad to see it go. Soothed quite a lot, though, by the means of its demise.

Its a little like living in the pages of a National Geographic article.

Watching the change of the landscape under the teeth of a remarkable creature.

Captivating the attention of a new generation.

How the Tree Fell

We tried to get some exciting video footage for you of the Beavers at work and/or of the tree falling.

With the camera zoomed in right on the tree, and with a wind storm coming, we were sure that we would get something worth showing.

And we did. Just not one of the somethings we were hoping for...

Here kitty, kitty, kitty!

The sad part of the story is that the tree did indeed fall in that windstorm, and the camera didn't capture it. We noticed first thing yesterday morning that the view was slightly altered. The tree that the Beavers ate through wasn't the one we thought, but was tucked farther off to the side of our view.

A little hard to tell, I know, but perhaps that means we are wrong about my lovely favorite tree being nibbled on. Its pretty hard to get perspective of where you are standing from down below, with how thick the underbrush is in places. Time will tell.

The Boys went down yesterday afternoon with my camera to catch some snapshots of the downed tree. Apparently the Beavers have already started to nibble away at the top branches.

As they hiked in, the Boys first saw the top of the tree...

the middle of the tree...

and the base of the tree...

Did they plan for it to fall that way, getting high-centered on an old-growth log? Will all of that tree trunk simply go to waste, or do they have plans to harvest the bark and moss? I am so curious I can hardly stand it!

We have the trail cam pointed at a place where we think they will be working next. Keep your fingers crossed for some glimpses of our clever critters!

Blogging About Beavers

Not exactly the typical post topic found on the web these days, I know! And for readers of a blog about stitching, cooking, gardening and puppies, it is perhaps a bit on the boring side. But I am not going to make any apologies, because I am completely and utterly fascinated by our Beaver family and the amazing work that they continue to do in our creek bottom.

They have been working their way downstream, making it easier and easier for us to walk in and view their dams. The Mister has counted at least 6 separate dam locations, some smaller, some really big.

They are clever creatures, I tell you.

This is the most astonishing sight we found.

I wouldn't be able to touch fingers around this tree.

It is well over 7 feet in diameter, and stands tall enough that it can be seen from our house. Sadly, that other, taller, Cottonwood tree in the photo has some bites taken out of it too... and it is one of my favorites to watch throughout the year.

Most often, the trees the Beavers take down are rather small.

I imagine these trees will be taken eventually, either by the Beavers or by drowning.

It feels like a dream, sometimes, owning this land.

Tending our trails and roads. Finding evidence of people who walked here long before us. Old pump in the creek, a rusty wheelbarrow, fire rings in the soil, logging spikes in old-growth stumps, a stray arrowhead.

Realizing that our time here is a miniscule sliver. We are caretakers in a string of caretakers.

Watching Beavers build dams where perhaps other Beavers built dams that have long since washed away.

Its a dream I want to live in for a very, very long time.

Speaking of Plastic...

I knew that there was a problem with plastic clogging drains and causing flooding in India. I knew that there is an island in the South Pacific that has shores completely covered up by broken bits of plastic and fish nets.

But I had no idea how big the issue really has become.

Then I watched a documentary on OPB that opened my eyes. And kept me awake that night. Then a few days later, still disturbed by what I had seen, I typed "plastic in the ocean" into the google search box. Click the link... I dare you. Then, if you want a little more in the way of statistics, read this blog post and the comments below.

I have never described myself as an Environmentalist. But I find that the more I know about the condition of the land, sea, air, the more concerned I am about the way we (all mankind) are treating God's Creation.

I have a love for the outdoors... the woods, the ocean, the rivers, meadows, trees, and I have always been curious about the animals that live here (including homo sapiens... I love watching and learning about people).

And I don't like the condition we are leaving the earth in for future generations of trees, animals, people.

I don't have a huge circle of influence politically or in my community, but I do have a voice, and I have a blog, and I have a few people who pop in to see what I have posted. So I am using this platform to try to make a statement to those who will listen.

Thank you for bearing with me as I stumble through trying to explain what has been ruminating in my heart and on my mind recently. I have an easy solution that just might help a teensy tiny bit.

Knowing that the majority of my blog readers are women who sew, and yes... I know about your fabric stashes... I have spent the last few days putting together a tutorial demonstrating how to make a lined, square-bottom, shopping bag out of fabrics from your stash. And I am going to give the tutorial to you for free. Why? Because it feels like it just might be a way that I can help reduce the use of plastic shopping bags.

You may already know how to make such a bag, or you might have a pattern in a stack somewhere. If that is the case, then let this blog post be a reminder to you to use those bags, that pattern.

I know that the download is a little on the large side, but I filled the tutorial with photos and options, making it a 7 page long pdf. Please, please, download it, share it with all of your sewing friends, spread the word. There really should be no excuse anymore for using those plastic bags.

And for those of you that have lasted through this entire monologue, I have a little giveaway for you... leave a comment on this post, and three of you will win (my Random Generators will draw names on Monday morning, August 30) one of these...

Made from a thrifted bedsheet, thank you very much.

I will be adding a permanent link on my sidebar to the cloth bag tutorial. Feel free to take it and post it on your blog and share it with as many people as possible.