Commemorating the tree
Feb. 25th, 2024 11:56 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
eve_primeI probably mentioned that the January ice storm took out an elderly tree that was special to our neighborhood, a big-leaf maple. When I woke up today, I found a message from my friend BHW that there would be an event at 4 pm in honor of the tree, and to invite others. So I did - I invited five more people, and one of them came. We had 20-30 people in all (people were coming and going), including my friend T, our friend LB who's moved a few miles away from the neighborhood, and JVM whom I'd invited; there were also three dogs.
The event itself was rather woo-woo, New-Age inspired (which I have to admit is typical of Eugene). We had two facilitators who were there to help us acknowledge our feelings about the tree and its falling. First we stood in a circle and said some things aloud about the tree, then we learned a song about not having to go through difficult things alone, then we went around to the far side of the tree where they'd set up an altar. People were encouraged to leave tokens or write notes - there were special water-soluble pens, and water from the creek, and the notes would dissolve in the water and then be fed back to the tree. (I didn't do any of that.) We also learned a tree-specific song. We were given tiny candles to take home and red camellia blossoms to place upon the tree, then we were done.
BHW and another woman were there on behalf of the neighborhood association, and they were hoping people could offer ideas for what the city should do about the tree. Apparently it can't be replaced because the soil beneath it is toxic (there had been a dump there in the 1940s, before the city annexed the land). It seems that many people favored leaving the fallen tree as it is, although surely that would be a problematic liability for the city? It turns out that schools around the area have already started bringing classes to climb on it for fun, which should be a nice memory for the kids regardless.
Meanwhile, Chicago day 3: The three of them did random small events, followed by one where they built fancy decks together and played one round against another team of three (and crushed them). Then they went back to the hotel and met up with DG's friend T, who is visiting him today and tomorrow. Then the four of them went to the Hancock building to visit J's childhood friend SL, who lives on the 61st floor, and the five of them went out for pizza at one of the Chicago deep-dish chains, Lou Malnati's.
The event itself was rather woo-woo, New-Age inspired (which I have to admit is typical of Eugene). We had two facilitators who were there to help us acknowledge our feelings about the tree and its falling. First we stood in a circle and said some things aloud about the tree, then we learned a song about not having to go through difficult things alone, then we went around to the far side of the tree where they'd set up an altar. People were encouraged to leave tokens or write notes - there were special water-soluble pens, and water from the creek, and the notes would dissolve in the water and then be fed back to the tree. (I didn't do any of that.) We also learned a tree-specific song. We were given tiny candles to take home and red camellia blossoms to place upon the tree, then we were done.
BHW and another woman were there on behalf of the neighborhood association, and they were hoping people could offer ideas for what the city should do about the tree. Apparently it can't be replaced because the soil beneath it is toxic (there had been a dump there in the 1940s, before the city annexed the land). It seems that many people favored leaving the fallen tree as it is, although surely that would be a problematic liability for the city? It turns out that schools around the area have already started bringing classes to climb on it for fun, which should be a nice memory for the kids regardless.
Meanwhile, Chicago day 3: The three of them did random small events, followed by one where they built fancy decks together and played one round against another team of three (and crushed them). Then they went back to the hotel and met up with DG's friend T, who is visiting him today and tomorrow. Then the four of them went to the Hancock building to visit J's childhood friend SL, who lives on the 61st floor, and the five of them went out for pizza at one of the Chicago deep-dish chains, Lou Malnati's.
no subject
Date: 2024-02-26 04:04 pm (UTC)Some of our beautiful Blue Spruce trees around the area are suffering here, it seems they get some fungus. Our neighbors just lost a huge one.
And the fun continues in Chicago! :)
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Date: 2024-02-27 02:38 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-03-04 11:07 am (UTC)