From My WindowIssue Date: December 22, 2021 Gifts From the Woods
By Jane Thibodeau Martin,
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Christmas is on my mind, of course, but it was temporarily pushed aside by my fascination with the weather last week. It was startling to experience a tornado watch here in Central Wisconsin, in December of all things"¦..later, a wind gust measured by our home weather station of 53 mph announced the raucous arrival of the front at our doorstep. Startling and near-continuous lightning followed. That was after a day when thick, uniform fog blanketed our area from dawn to dusk, making driving extremely hazardous. Visibility was literally a few hundred feet and sometimes considerably less. Totally bizarre.
Our climate is changing. Yes, weather always changes"¦..but climate is stable, as scientifically measured for very lengthy periods of time and changes very, very slowly. Slow change is not what is happening now.
It took more than 30 hours for the winds to completely calm at our home. By then I'd seen pictures of big pine trees down on my sister's property near Madison, and saw news coverage of the tornado touchdown near Stanley. I felt grateful our home and buildings were safe, and no family members suffered significant property damage or lost power.
My thoughts turned to wondering what havoc would have been wreaked in the woods. It was certainly not safe to venture out there until the winds died, so I had to bide my time. Friday morning at first light I set out with the dogs to explore.
There were lots and lots of branches, from twigs to limbs four or five inches at the base sprinkled liberally everywhere. And there were trees toppled over, mostly standing dead trunks, beloved by the woodpeckers, but a few apparently healthy small trees torn up by the roots. One big popple fell over the main trail, uprooted at the base on the west and with its top resting precariously in the crown of a tree on the east side of the trail. It would have to be removed, it was dangerous as it was.
But what struck me was how little significant damage there was. The trees in the woods have their own built-in safety mechanism, with the dense stands of mixed species serving, even without their leaves, as a windbreak. Their branches twine closely together, and their roots form an interlocking safety net below the ground. They help each other through these close connections, regardless of what species they are. The popple help the maple, the spruce shields the oak and the ash are assisted by the white pine.
Indeed the trees we did see damaged later on a trip to town were more often large, solitary trees. The woods always gift me with a lesson, when I am of a mindset to see it and learn.
These same woods were again the generous source this year for our home-grown Christmas tree. The last few years have seen quite a few comically oversized and "rustic" specimens in our living room. This year, since we won't be entertaining, I was thinking about a very small tree, one that wouldn't require old ladies, like me, on ladders for decorating like the last few have. Mike had other ideas, since there was a likely candidate blocking his trail extension project. It had to come down anyway, so it might be a good Christmas tree. He took me out to see it. At the time it was covered with snow, but it looked serviceable. I mentioned cutting just the very top off for the house, but apparently that comment went unheard. The next time I saw it, the massive tree was at the doorstep and Mike had the stand in hand.
The tree was absolutely huge. Too tall for even the highest part of our cathedral ceiling and so very wide once in the stand that it blocked a doorway. It was taken outside for a generous cut on the bottom and back into the stand it went, but it was still so big it took up about a quarter of the living area and impeded access into his office.
I was still campaigning for taking it back outside and literally cutting it half and just using the top, but Mike decided a little more strategic pruning would do the trick. This may or may not have involved the use of a chain saw. In the house, mind you. I was a bit horrified and the dogs and cats fled in terror. But as my wise daughter in Seattle said after the fact, "You need to proudly embrace your inner Wisconsinite, Mom." This was honestly Charlie Berens*-level Wisconsin, beyond a doubt.
In the end, a radical trim tamed the beast and I have to admit it is impressive towering in the house and lit with my favorite blue lights. It's outsized and has a lot of thin spots, but it is fresh and truly homegrown, a gift from our land, and I do love it. A purely "theoretical" house rule against indoor chain saw usage may need to be established, however.
Merry Christmas and/or season's greetings to all of you. Find some inner stillness in the bustle of the season. Take good care of yourself, and like the trees in our woods, let's take care of each other, as we are buffeted by adverse winds.
(*Charlie Berens is a Wisconsin-born comedian that Mike and I greatly enjoy. I highly recommend "The Manitowoc Minute.")
You can reach me for commentary, alternative viewpoints or ideas at this e-mail address: JanieTMartin@gmail.com.
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