When the children’s mother came to pick them up yesterday she smiled and said “What did you do today?” Expecting a blather of talk about the new pup. “We planted trees” they called out, running to get their coats and books.
“Look, we will show you!”Racing past they hung their bags off their mother’s fingers and all shot out the door. Stumbling over each other as they stopped to pull on boots.
“What kind of trees?” she said.
“Twisting curly willow trees.” Their voices called back.
Well, I thought, that is interesting.
The puppy was drooled over but the trees were the real excitement of the day.
This is where we are going to be planting the majority of your new trees. In groups along these fence lines.
With pockets of stands in the corners.
But not yet, the willows that the children planted are down by the house. Pat’s willow is viewed from my kitchen window and Eha’s is in the Daily View. The children really taught me something today with their enthusiasm about tree planting. I had underestimated the power of tree planting. This is good, the Fellowship Forest will also be a learning experience for the children.
Good morning. Last night I had to bring the pup inside. You will remember my young animal rule. Neither pups nor kittens set one foot inside until the end of summer when I know for sure that they are absolutely house trained. I can tolerate an awful lot but I will not tolerate messes inside. So the pup has an old wooden workshop drawer, filled with blankets, on a small sheeps-wool mattress, tucked inside an older wooden chest laid on its side with its back to the elements, to give it three high sides and a roof, set up facing into the french doors so he can see inside but not Be inside. It is warm, draft free, weather proof and is so heavy that it is indestructible. Plus it does not look like a dogs house! I will take a picture for you today.
In the night one of these passing storms that have been teasing us let fly with torrential rain driven by a wicked wind. Rain almost never gets this deep into the verandah but there you are. It was flying against the doors and bouncing back into the dogs little house. I got up and Blue was sitting stoically on the pillow in the highest corner of his box as it steadily filled with water. Getting drenched, I shook the box out, filled it with a dry blanket and popped it just inside the kitchen door. I toddler-proofed the room (everything went up) as he laid back down, sighed and went to sleep. John took him for a walk at 4 am then made his outside bed back up. John gets up for work at 4 so he does the first toileting walks. No messes. Phew.
We had almost 2 inches of rain in under an hour. A goodly amount of water. And if it did not knock our tiny seedling pastures right out of the ground then we will get fantastic growth once it warms up. We have a few cool days ahead of us still. This rain will have settled our trees into the ground too.
It is 5.45 and still dark, the clouds must be heavy. Nevertheless it is milking time.
Have a lovely day.
celi
PS On this day a year ago. Actually this is tomorrow a year ago but the green is so beautiful even though there was a frost, I cannot wait until tomorrow to show you. We were so lush a year ago.
The Kitchen's Garden 
48 responses to ““We planted a tree!” they called out.”
that IS something to be excited about – kids + planting trees + excitement. Sheer joy! I need to catch up on the comings and goings of the farmy – we seem to have grown a Fellowship Forest in my absence !
I meant to add yippee to April showers, I know it resulted in a damp dog, but at last the gardens (or in your case the fields) are becoming more and more springlike. Happy days
you and a couple of others will have your own forest growing in the orchard! pears and apples and i thought maybe an apricot for you?.. c
Just when we think we have kids pegged, they go and surprise us… 🙂
The trees and plantings are terrific (for the future), but it’s the rain that’s excited me – always the rain! And what about that little blue boy, eh? – no indoor puddles 🙂
good little blue.. we got away with that .. but just this once! c
What made me come back at night to write a letter? And find your post, and have a bit of a warm weepie, and change my desktop to a curly willow with those happy children and that wonderful shot of Blue. Methinks that is Pat’s willow, but I’ll see mine in the Daily View, won’t I? Will you please thank your lovely midweek visitors for helping . . . you will be thanked some time and some how I have yet to work out! Feel so warm about being part of the Fellowship Forest . . . will dream of the prairies tonight. Much love . . .
This IS your tree Eha, and you will see it again in the daily view too! If i have my angles right that is!! c
Tremendous! Or, rather, tree-um-beginning-ous!
Brilliant!
Good morning Celi great post SAINTS
Wonderful rain – I hope it fell like mercy, gently upon the earth beneath!
Thank you so much for giving Pat the first tree. I haven’t told you much about her, but will send you her eulogy poem that I wrote for her funeral, (which I had to do in two languages!) and you will see why she was special. I shall send a link to this post to her son Paddy, who I saw last weekend.
That luck little dog Blue has fallen on his feet by coming to live with you.
Vx
That would be lovely ViV, after all the help you have given me this past year i am thrilled that Pats tree wanted to pop in outside the kitchen window.. You will see it soon! c
Hi Cecilia & Viv,
Thank you and the kids for planting Pats tree. That is absolutely wonderful and Pat (Mum to me!) is delighted I am sure. Mum was a keen tree planter herself; the apple trees that she planted in her field in France are now getting big and strong (not to mention the 100’s of shrubs and other plants that Mum nurtured!).
Paddy
You are most welcome Paddy, we love our trees too and hope to plant more apple trees too as the spring goes on. take care.. c
Trees are magical, and children ‘feel’ that better than grown-ups. Show a child a tree, and it will become part of their life (climbing, swinging, playing, etc). Show an adult a tree, and they think pruning, raking leaves and shade. Good morning, c., and all the best to the farmy.
You are so right, and i am looking forward to the kids helping with the watering too this summer!.. c
Lovely rain. It’s coming our way so I’m putting in more peas and some lettuce, radishes and my onion sets before it gets here. I want to plant some willows if we can find a good place for them. Cliffrod and I went for a walk and found our pear tree is in bloom. It was 87F here yesterday! Praying for no freezes. Have a lovely day Celi!
Willows are great for stock too, I hpe you get no frezes too, there are a few in the forecast for us this week but maybe that is the last of them.. c
Every prairie needs more trees. That is all I have to say this morning, except thank you for planting these trees.
Celi, love the kids enthusiasm, love the trees, love the rain, love that PUP! Again, I have missed out in my absence! Off to catch up now…
Morning Lynda and thank you for the excellent advice about geese, i have to say i am not sure i will get any, i think we have enough garden eating big birds.. c
what a wonderful experience those kids are having spending time on your farmy! lifetime memory making for sure!
Puuuuppppppyyyy! 🙂
(laugh!!).. c
Fancy the children preferring a tree to a puppy!
The children have it right. Planting a tree is forever – the future. No negating beautiful Blue. He is a star. V.