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Might look like no more than a pile of logs to you. Looks like my new home to me. I see walls, window frames, floor boards, shelves, a kitchen table.
And on that hillside across river where these trees came from, all I see now are small green trees. No more big brown ones.
I know it won’t last. Those ones will go too. But in the meanwhile, it looks so… alive. I had forgotten what a living forest looks like.
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Quick updates, and back to work. Got the weekend off from being Lady Logger. Instead, diving in, finding myself caught up in my words, at times struggling to stay afloat, as the next manuscript emerges like an all consuming wave. So much for moderation.
Stop. Breathe. Sit back in the sun and pop open a cold one. (Actually, I’m not much of a beer drinker, but it sure sounds good, sometimes. Especially since it’s our first batch of home brew.This coming week we’ll be bottling our next batch. I call this one Logger Lager.)
Last I heard from the publisher, the first book is off to the printer for proof copies! Yippee!!!!
And now, I leave you with this.
I finally found it. (Rather, Bob found it first.)
Beauty in the beetle kill.
A natural work of art hiding on the inside of every log. Just peel the bark and there it is, waiting to be revealed…
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Gin Getz 
In my mind I can picture the vivid small green trees against stark white snow and wow, did you ever find beauty in the beetle kill. The photo literally took my breath away for a few moments…wow. I guess I have woodworking on the brain but I’m thinking that would make absolutely beautiful bowls and furniture…wow!
Love the “Logger Lager”, HA!
Cannot wait to get my hands on your book! So exciting!
Is there such a thing as “moderation” when you become inspired and the words flow? I think not. It is then that you must, well, “Make hay while the sun shines” as they say! “Write On!”
Well, heck, you know me too well, Karen: Now I’ve been sitting inside with the darned computer on my lap all morning long and the sun IS shining, so you know what that means… I’m outta here for a little bit, and heading out there!
Well, even busy writers need to take a break! Especially when the sun is shining!!
Oh, Karen – I meant to say this earlier. I don’t know what we can do with the bark, it is thin, dry and fragile – though we’ll have a lot of it because I’ll have to use the old draw knife and peel every one of those logs… but we are saving some nice chunks of blued wood for Ron to do with as he pleases.
That’s wonderful, thank you!
GIN, HAPPY FOR YOU, LOOKING FORWARD TO READING Y0UR BOOK , log pile looks good hope I can help with the cabin. f&J
Thanks, Floyd. And wait until you see Bob’s new toy…
You’ve enticed me to study the beetle kill in BC. I learned from a 2012 update that we lost 58% of the susceptible trees – a relief from the 80% suspected. I’ll never look at a winter’s week of -35 or upwards to -50 as misery again. It’s doing a lot of good.
Interesting, isn’t it…So often it’s only the polar bear shown as the ones so influenced by global warming.
Wake up, world. We’re in for a ride.
A helluva ride. And unfortunately, the BC figures are so low because there just aren’t the tree stands left. Sort of like how our “average” snowpack is averaged by the past ten to twenty years. We’ve in a twenty year drought. So, figures help, but seeing is really believing. Look up at the land by Williams Lake… or don’t. It’s rather sad.
Amy, my apologies for the rapid and rough response earlier. I had spent wayyyyyy to much time working on the computer this morning and should have just walked away and taken a deep breath first. Sorry bout that. Note to self: I live up here to be out there. Get out before it’s too late every day! Well, I did. I’m back. I’m better. The reason I mentioned William’s Lake area is because Bob was there several years ago, before the beetles hit here, and he couldn’t believe the damage there I’d like to recommend a book by Canadian author Andrew Nikiforuk called “Empire of the Beetle.” It’s bad here now. Very bad. The mountains are waves of dead trees, but I see the individuals and that’s sadder to me. I don’t know if we’ll have a single live spruce tree on our property when this is over. Most mornings are wll above zero (-17 C) and afternoons have been over 40 degrees F (5 C) every day for a couple weeks. It’s January. We’re at about 10,000 feet (over 3000 meters) above sea level and it’s supposed to be cold. Very cold. Where the nearest people live, in the valley an hour or so away, it’s cold – I hear they have an inversion, don’t see the sun and are freezing. Up here, we’re baking. The aspen are budding. We shouldn’t have leaves until June. I’m freaking out. Ah well. I take my walk (snow shoe) and try to unwind, and instead my mind is filled with more thoughts than I can keep track of. So much for a walking meditation. Maybe running will help. Sounds like I’ll be in training when Forrest comes home – a new “hobby” he picked up in the South Pole. We’ll see if you can teach old dogs new tricks.
My contracts with Education sent me far and wide in our Province – including Willams Lake. I drove through and worked in various Beetle infested areas at various times during the travesty. A couple of times the ‘scape was so different, it seemed I somehow got on the wrong highway.
A friend and colleague, a School Superintendent, was raised in Cache Creek – near Williams Lake – and raises horses there. When we had time to get together, she shared a lot.
I spent a year further north – in logging country – where, again, it was unbelievable. The First Nations people hardly said “boo” about it (at least not publically) and the loggers were worried sick.
I hold great compassion for you. I can’t say I totally understand – it didn’t happen under my “homie” nose. It certainly puts into perspective my trifling concern that some jerk will decide my favourite Great Leaf Maple is in the way.
Congrats on book 1 going for proofs. Best wishes on second book Gin :-) Enjoy the process.
Thank you so much, Ann!