Branches

day sit.

a strong wind came through from the north.

the excavators arrived today. they tore the stumps out of the ground, pushed the topsoil into piles, mounded the branches up into an even higher pile that apparently will be burned next week, when it rains. none of us have ever heard of such a massive bonfire. i plan to be away with the little one during those days, to protect him from pine's toxic smoke.

walked about the land today, saw that amidst all the disturbed soil and roots, there remains, uncannily, a little island of green grass, where the daffodils i planted two years ago are standing.

we pulled some of the pruned branches from our apple up to our porch, along with two little saplings that were cut down, and began the process of fixing them to the corners for the birds to perch in when they come to our feeders, which now hang in the apple boughs. after we'd gotten two up, we went in the house to see how it looked, and watched the wind move through the branches. it was eerie; the branches, so fresh, moved just like living trees in the wind.

the pruned apple bough has buds on it. how long will they grow?

i was delighted to see little red squirrel visiting our porch today. i wonder when we will see our three-legged gray.

it was freeing to have all the destruction done, and to finally be able to start moving forward and healing all of us from it. like putting the branches up for the birds, a little space for them, new.