You can write our Rag Tree

If you'd like to send Rag Tree a prayer or message, or a letter, please visit this page.

I had one of those thoughts that would not go away-the image of a small hut somewhere, with a single, humble bench and nothing else, barely big enough for one person. And a red box. The red box was clearly in my mind after watching "Victoria" and I was reminded that the Queen, to this day, gets her morning red box full of letters that she responds too.

I thought people could send Apifera letters and I would put them in the red box, and leave them in the hut and when someone happens upon it, they read the letters and it's intent or wish or prayer is released.

I told Martyn about it and as is usually the case with my brainstorms from the heart, he liked it, but helped me tweak it.

As we talked, we realized the trees had to be part of the experience, and I remembered my Prayer Rag Tree at the old farm. I would tie a white rag on a branch with a word or name on it to send a prayer for people or animals. Sometimes, total strangers asked to have a prayer flag on the tree and I always tried to oblige.

So we decided the best place for this will be in a special spot of The Wood, right near the Quaker cemetery from yesteryear, which borders one part of our land. There are beautiful old trees there and dry slopes. It can't be seen from the road and anyone going there would need to seek it out. I want anyone going there to feel they came upon a gem in the woods, like a troll left a light on for them in their shack.

It all jogged my memory to an illustration project I did years ago about a Wishing Tree, something that is done in India-people leave wishes and symbols of hope, coins, trinkets at a designated tree. I also was reminded that in the Celtic tradition, Wishing Trees - also called May Bushes, Fairy Trees or Rag Trees - are all over, and people tie rags of color to ask for blessings from the saints...or wee folk.In Britain a woman saw a pacifier on a tree - a prayer for the new born, or unborn? So the Wishing Trees have been around for centuries. I hear they are a new wedding craze. Yoko Ono has been doing work like this for ages. But I thought it would be nice way for people to partake in what I get to partake in every day-the peace of Apifera, the land and animals roaming that provide beautiful images, and the wisdom and generosity of The Wood.

So this weekend Martyn and I are going to venture out to The Wood and pick a Rag Tree. People will send a rag of their own with their hope, prayer or wish. It might be simple word on a cloth rag, or a note on paper, or wood. Some people might send trinkets.  Some send photos of loved ones or pets. I will leave it up to the sender. I will figure a way to attach them so as not to harm the tree. Perhaps hay twine strung from the branches with notes attached. In time, the rags will fade, but not the energy or intent of the message.This is an evolving, fluid endeavor.

And people can send letters-Letters to lost pets, parents long gone, old friends never seen, politicians, or a higher self. The letters will be put in a special box with the tree...I hope it to be a red box, like the Queen's.

I mentioned the beginnings of this idea on social media and already some want to come to the tree. In time this will happen, although I am not sure of the logistics...a journey to The Rag Tree might be incorporated into Workshops, or people that are supporters of Apifera's non profit might have their own special day. But right now, I want this to be about the tree and its energy, and the hope it will emit into the air, or the comfort it might give someone knowing a small rag blows in the woods at Apifera spreading hope or a desire, or that a letter was written with love and in time will reach the intended recipient now gone.

In time, Martyn will also build a little hut for me with a humble bench...a place to sit and reflect, not speak, read the letters of other souls who needed to write...for whatever reason.

If you'd like to send Rag Tree a prayer or message, or a letter, please visit this page.

In the Wood, out in the light

I walked the entire Wood today with Mud. It's only about a mile loop, but I really love The Wood in the winter, especially since it is marsh in much of the center so can't be walked the entire way in spring. It's fun to watch the tracks of deer and coyote, and we suspect a bobcat.

The winter here has not been that hard on us, in fact, Oregon is having a harder time since even 1/4 inch of snows freaks everyone out and the roads come to a standstill pretty easily there. There is a difference here in that nobody complains about the weather that much, it is just weather. Much like Minnesota, or my days in upstate NY. I was taught as a child by a mother that lived in the furtherest north city in North Dakota,

"It's just weather, don't whine about it."

And I rarely do. So many other things to whine about it.

We are beginning to comprehend what we want to do to our acreage, and of course that will evolve too. We have lots of plans and ideas, dreams. Martyn has already begun to push the growth back from the existing pasture. We plan to create more open space on part of The Wood, a place that was obviously pasture at one time. It has some old growth apple trees, and is above the marsh and stream spots. I like it over there, it borders the Quaker cemetery.

Our little farm is very different here than in Oregon. I am adjusting to that. There are still days I have some pangs for 'what was', but...it's not necessarily the farm itself. It is something else and I haven't figured out the words to express that, and maybe I won't have to. We have been here eight months, that is not long at all. I remember how long it took in Oregon to feel rooted. And I'm not sure it has anything to do with being here, versus "there". I think it has more to do with the realization, the fact, that my decades on this earth are coming to an end. I'll be 59 in March. That's not old, but, a decade zips by. There is so much to do here, that we want to do, and it just feels different thinking ahead at 59 then it did at 42.

To be honest, I feel a bit fat, a bit old looking. I was pretty once, that was nice to experience. It means nothing to how you live your life, what kind of heart you have or what art you make. But, I can now say, I've entered that place where 'pretty' is not the word I would use to describe anything about my appearance. In fact I don't like looking at myself much. I think this might pass. I'm sort of in the 'between' stage of aging.

So walking in The Wood helps with anything. Touching old trees, hearing the stream under the ice, and Muddy was so happy to be with me.

In the meantime, while we gave up the Big Sky feel of the West, we have huge clouds that are closer to us here, and lots of days of beautiful sun and blue sky. The snow comes and goes, and it has been an easy winter so far as regards to snow. But of course that can change, but no matter, we are fine. And t was nice to look over to the new barn and see the flock, and the smoke coming from the house chimney.

A place in The Wood for us outsiders

Boone and I come out of The Wood surprising the donkeys

Boone and I have been out in the woods a couple times. Nobody ever walked the property line with us and all we have are overviews of the lots, which are helpful, and the stone walls that most properties have as defining lines. But it gets tricky when the land is mostly forests on the adjoining properties. I was told there were paths in the woods and am discovering them. Some are not on our land and I was told one property allows us to be on them, but I will venture to the town clerk to get names of owners to introduce myself to make sure. Using someone's land, even for a walk, or a ride, is a gift-it is not a permanent right. There seem to be some people that think they are allowed to do whatever they want in someone's forest because that is how it was done by their dads and their dads and so on. We ran into this in Yamhill. It is gentle dance, one I am not always very good at, to discuss such things with property neighbors and long standing locals when you, meaning me, are the 'outsider'.

In the meantime, I am focusing on the south side of our property because it is not as marshy and has more potential I think for trails for me and Boone. The marshy area is a fact, and it sort of makes a curved loop in the middle of the land so is unusable about 6 months of the year. But, I am making lemons out of lemonade, because Boone hates squishy terrain and it is good practice for him. He has some small streams to cross too and we are doing fine. He loves the trail rides, it is so obvious in his demeanor and I do too. Arena riding gets boring for me, unless you have goals of a show.

There is a small section of The Wood over by the current edge of the far pasture that I like. It is where I've been entering with Boone. Yesterday instead of a ride I went there and spent time clearing dead wood and just getting to know the place. There are adjoining properties on the way upper portion of our land that I am not really too comfortable with right now. As Neil Young wrote,

"When Edith and Earl
Renamed the Double E
They nearly made history
The neighbors rose up
And some of them were mad as hell
'cause it used to be the Double L

Change comes slow in the country
When you're new
There's a lot of distrust
Years pass by uneventful,
And memories turn to dust"

So yesterday as I worked on the forest, I spoke to it. I explained my intentions. I hope to leave our forest in better condition than when I arrived. Not that the former owners did anything wrong, they were good stewards and let their children learn and play in Nature, it is evident in so many ways. There is a difference in considering yourself a landowner versus a land steward. We won't be allowing hunting here either, which has some feathers ruffled. I have nothing against hunting or hunters, much of my family hunts. I just don't want  it here for safety. If we had 100 acres, that would be one thing, but we don't. My call. Another reason I'm sticking to certain parts of the forest, for now. I have an idea for this part of the wood I'm working on, making it a little sanctuary of healing for guests, making wood huts out of branches. I went to a place like that in Wisconsin years ago, that started as the project of mentally challenged boy, and continued every summer as he aged. My friend took me there, you had to know how to find it. She kept saying she was taking me some place really special, and when we arrived after walking some distance through the woods, I was just so touched.

I want that for my woods. A place for beings to feel touched and safe.

New work..The Wood is certainly calling

I have done three pieces this week, my first here in Maine. The wood, or forest really, is a strong pull for me right now. I doubt it will go away, that pull. Of our 30 acres, about 25 is in forest, maybe less. Supposedly there are paths, more like old car

roads, in the center somewhere. I have not found them. Today I ventured out to make trails, hoping that eventually me and Boone will ride there.

I had to stop because I got too far in and Martyn had followed me. I was following the field stone property line [all the property lines are field stone walls, very common here]. I knew I could get a bit confused but I just kept feeling a voice,

Come this way, it's over here...

But I turned back when I heard Martyn who had followed me, out of worry. I will not go in alone again without my phone, and we will mark our trails. I guess it was foolish, but I hadn't planned to go that far, I was enticed to keep going.

I will tell you something. The wood itself is comforting - I do not feel any danger or evil in it, at least at this point of my relationship with Her. But I do sense something about some of the properties on the outskirts. We had a discussion with one of these people on our first week here, by chance at a local store, and it made us very uncomfortable. I won't go into it here and I think it will be okay in time. But that was not the property that spooked me today, in fact that property is way on the other end, a long ways off really. There is another place that of late has made me feel edgy-a place to avoid, and probably just ignore, but as I was in the woods, I did feel I was okay in amongst the trees as long as I didn't head close to that property.

All of these pieces are on the shop. I will have them at the Thursday 6/30 art walk unless they should sell.