Looking out my window

As most of you know AOL has fixed the problem and ALERTS are back on !!  It was a long weekend.

Everyday I look out the little window in my bathroom and see the top of this majestic Douglas Fir tree that is in my neighbor's yard.  Today I went out and took it's picture.  I was thinking that I've seen these trees all my life and I guess take their beauty for granted at times. But for those who live in other parts of the country they'd be a welcome addition to the landscape.  These trees literally grow like weeds in the Pacific Northwest....we cut them down by the thousands and use their wood to build structures and to make paper and in my case to burn in the wood stove during the winter.  The Weyerhaeuser Company owns thousands of acres of fir trees and as they log them off they plant new little tiny ones.  As you drive on Washington highways you'll see signs that read "Logged in 1984 & Replanted in 1985"  or what ever years these events took place.  The new trees grow rather fast compared to some species and eventually they will be logged again.  I've actually got a new tiny one here still in a plastic bag that I got at a booth at The Tall Ships Festival last month.  I don't know where to plant it.  I've already got 2 medium sized ones in my back yard and the big giant cedar tree in the front yard.  Maybe I'll get a big planter and put it in there for now and just let it grow for awhile and then worry about planting it somewhere in a few years.  This tree in the picture is really magnificent though.  I wish you all could see it in person.  Towards the top it is actually covered in cones...full of seeds for new little trees.   I'm glad they don't all germinate and grow otherwise we'd be living in a thick forest.  You can see the cones in the picture if you look real close........                    

                     

As I said at the beginning, alerts are back on.  And my AOL in-box will be backed up soon.  I'm having company for dinner today, Wednesday is Book Club and in between I'll be continuing to get stuff together for the carport/yard sale on Friday & Saturday.  So I can't promise I'll be around on a regular basis.  Have a good week ~ until next time,  Linda

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