The Full Willow Story

Monique and the willow: October 2006

Willow down: July 2007

When we arrived for the 4th of July, I saw the lovely river willow had been felled by beaver.

We noticed the tree was still green, meaning it hadn't been down long, but we also saw that branches in contact with either ground or water were sprouting roots! I quickly used the internets to discover willows are very hormonal, and good at starting over. I also learned the easiest way to propagate willow is to take a branch and jam it into the ground. Well, even I can do that, so I did.

That first day, Monique and I put ±30 twigs and branches up and down the riverbank. Since then, it just got into me. 1) Why didn't I protect the tree years ago? 2) Why didn't I learn about willow propagation and take selected branches off the tree years ago? Why didn't the beaver take the flippin' tree after taking the time to cut it down?!?

Because the beaver didn't take much, I could. I've planted at least 150 twigs, branches, even a few limbs. Branches I thought were dried out and "no good," I tossed into the river. Some came to rest by the swimming hole, and some of those sprouted new leaves and roots. We won't know until spring how many are still viable, and even longer to know if trees can survive where they've been planted.

Today with a handsaw and a pick I finally separated the tree from the stump -- that was a pile of fun. But I've fenced the stump and its many shoots, and sort of hope the beaver leave the rest as-is.

Enough about my willow obsession focus. Today was gorgeous, and after a trip to Kalispell for various bits and pieces, I spent the afternoon outside. Last Thursday was cold, rainy, windy, and cold, and definitely took the idea of "wood stove"... wait for it... off the back burner.

random note to self: don't do that.

I am thrilled to be up here. Yesterday morning I went outside and took this shot of our chestnut tree. Life is good.

September 15th--Bear Creek Road

This morning Bob and I decided to go for a short hike up Bear Creek. We've been up this road many times before, but never have we actually run across a bear....until today! We were still in the car so there was no danger, and the "little" black bear was much more interested in running across the road and getting away from us as fast as possible. Still it was a great way to start the morning!

The hike was lovely too, with lots of photos to take and shopping through the new trees on the trail, wishing each and every one could somehow appear down in our field by the cabin. Our own trees are doing great however, and we even have three new additions to cheer on: two Serviceberries and one Crab Apple. Along with the 100+ willow branches that Bob as 'planted' down at the river side it's been a record year for planting trees!

Time has really done some funny things since we've been here. We arrived only a couple of weeks ago, Uhaul and car packed to the gills, and yet it feels as if we've been here most the year. I'm reminded every now and then by boxes that need tending to, or areas that are desperate to be organized, but I can't say it any better than, from the moment we walked in the door from our drive across the passes on the 30th....it's felt like home.

River swims, driving through the valley (where I grew up) to go help out at the quilt store, walks down the dirt road as the sun goes down, no television, deer, birds, (and bear) as entertainment, uninterrupted starlight, a moon so bright that it casts a shadow, and that wonderful feeling of going to sleep after a day of being active in the outdoors.

life is good.

-monique