Trees

Time with trees is best. This pine is in "The Lost Forty," an area of the Chippewa National Forest in northern Minnesota and is over 200 feet high and 300-400 years old.

In 1882 Josiah A. King and his survey crew traveled 40 miles from Grand Rapids, a settlement town at that time, and mis-surveyed a six square mile area. His mistake is our benefit.

The Lost Forty is 144 acres that have never been logged.

When I spend time with trees I am in the present moment. The forest has much to teach me. The unconsciousness takes over, and I notice things I never did before, like mushrooms, moss, pine cones (male and female). I learn things from curiosity, and let the forest teach me all I need to know.

The tree on the below was in a fire. You can tell which way the fire was heading by the v-shaped groove; the flames curled around this way towards the dark opening, so the fire was heading from the opposite direction.

The tree to the right is in the woods by the Forest History Center. My boyfriend and I spent the day there reliving 1900 and the logging camps. We had some great thoughts between us and I did the viewing, he did the writing. He wrote it all down perfectly in poems. Those words are only there once and he captured them. My brain didn't have words anymore, it just had the moment.

Later, going to town (Bemidji) words looked like this ......