Welcome to the art/life trail.

On the third Wednesday of each month BD and I share our Tree Farm adventure which began in February 2010 with her purchase of 50 clear cut acres. 

 

BD: the first spring

The story thus far:

Chapter 1

  Chapter 2 

Spring 2010: Compelled to connect to this damaged and ravaged landscape we begin making once monthly trips from the beach to the Piedmont. It’s a near 4 hour drive. We set up camp and stay 2 – 4 days each visit.

We prepare with the purchase of a large tent, practice set up and take down, buy cots, sleeping bags, a screen house to use as kitchen. A large wagon from Northern Tool makes it possible for us to mule our way from the creek bed up the hill to the level ‘camp site’. 

Loading the Mazda with supplies becomes a practice in planning and efficiency:

 

Each trip requires puzzling items into the truck: tent, screen house,
cots, camp chairs, folding tables, wagon, camp stove, water, food, clothes, tools.

With no road beyond the logging access dirt track the truck bumps slowly over the land bouncing through ruts, puddles and compact earth until we reach the creek.

 

Boards laid out to get the wagon over the water

Creek side loading the wagon

 Gear schlepped by wagon up to higher ground and the camp site  

BD had the wherewithal to have the wood waste in the camp chipped. This creates a semblance of  a cleared area. This is where we set up the tents. This is where grass seedlings immediately begin to sprout.

Blue Bird Gulch Camp

Sleeping Zone

View from the Tent mid-summer

Inside the Kitchen Tent

 One of the first sign of survivors of the clear cut: 

Frankie the fence post lizard.

Beyond the camp zone: an opportunity to practice the Japanese adage:

“When walking pay attention to your feet.”

Spread across the acres are heaps of twisted tree tops, large branches, stumps protruding from the compacted earth at different heights along with the occasional random trees that were allowed to remain standing. Any tall trees seen are along the creek spared the saw by the Environmental Protection Agency.

Each visit we make piles and clean up debris areas close to the camp. Each visit we learn of the exorbitant waste left by the timbering industry.

Quisasana, from Latin:
Where one heals.

From the Nature Fix, Florence Williams

 

 

 

 

By August of 2010 we’ve made a connection.

 

 

Foreground, first summer growth in camp site

 

Off grid, no cell phone reception, no connection to ‘out there’

for three or four days each month

the adventure unfolds…

 

Thanks for your visit ‘-)

Thanks for your comments.

Next installment written by BD to be published Wednesday, December 19.

 

 

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