Arbor Day

[multipurposegoddess]

I don't know when Arbor Day is. I thought it was earlier in the year, but 30 Rock mentioned it as an upcoming holiday in April, so maybe it actually is. Who knows?

Regardless, I might need to go plant a tree today and I don't know what to wear.

My grandma died in 2005 - September, when everything sucked and I was in that weird calm place that crises put me and awash in early pregnancy hormones and her memorial service was extremely surreal. She was cremated, but nobody knew what to do with the ashes. We are not the urn keeping type, my family. Grampa got scattered up at his ranch in Dixon; I don't know what happened to Great-Grandma's remains but they aren't on anyone's mantle.

When my grandparents built their dream house they put the deck around an enormous old oak. Eventually, the tree died and had to be taken down, but they kept the stump and Grandma had bunches of pictures of the old tree. When she divided that land and built a smaller house for herself she made the builders flag every tiny oak tree on her property so they could make an effort to avoid crushing them.

So, we are planting her an oak. We're putting it in Strenzel Meadow, over by John Muir's grave. It'll be above the creek that my parents have moved and been managing in an effort to reduce flooding on the street below, and near a big old oak. It'll be of a type that doesn't carry Sudden Oak Death, and we'll put Grandma's ashes beneath it.

Circle of Life. Best we can do.

I don't have an outfit for that. Grandma would have been overdressed in a skirt and heels, but I don't think that will work for me. We think it will not be muddy, it hasn't rained in a couple of days, but it's not a manicured lawn and I will be doing some digging.

Something that fits, something that's clean. Best I can do.

Comments

[lili-beth.livejournal.com]

It sounds like a beautiful spot for an oak, -t. Peace ~ma to you and yours.

[tskaredoff.livejournal.com]

It is a lovely spot. Thank you.

[gingerk.livejournal.com]

You reminded me of a song lyric.

Roses
David Olney

Lightning spoke to the wind
The devil's in me today, my friend
Do you see that old oak tree
Down yonder?
Blow like hell
And bring down thunder
And when your raging's through
I'll cut that oak in two

The wind began to moan
The old oak tree began to groan
Thunder roared like hell's own daughter
The air was filled with fire and water
And laughing viciously
Lightning struck that tree

The old oak tree
Began to shudder
But he held his ground
Like some old soldier
His ancient pride
Was burned and shaken
But something deep inside
Did waken
He raised his limbs
Just like Moses
And blossomed roses
He blossomed roses

The sky is clear
The air is clean
The earth is brown
The forest green
The ancient oak
He still is standing
With strength that passes
Understanding
Like dreams
A noble mind composes
He blossomed roses

[tskaredoff.livejournal.com]

Oh, that's wonderful! Thank you, Ginger.

We got the roots down deep and a cage to protect it from the deer (one came by while we were digging eying our fresh greens). I expect it to thrive for a long time.

[zmayhem.livejournal.com]

{{{t}}}

It sounds exactly right for your grandma. We did the same thing for both my mother's parents, only theirs were pines on the shore of one of the keys of Lake Tahoe. (And you are wise, wise, wise to put a cage around it -- my Cappy's tree, protected, is getting bigger and stronger every day, but 6 or 7 years ago we lost Nana's naked tree to a beaver.)

[tskaredoff.livejournal.com]

Thanks, dear. It is right, and the tree-planting was really appropriate for our little clan.

What a shame about the beaver! This creek is not year-round and the nearest known beavers are downtown but the deer are voracious so everything in the Meadow gets caged for at least a couple of years. It looks peculiar, but that's restoration for you, I guess.