There was a time when the days and weeks were long and years seemed forever. At that time people older than me would remark that 'time flies.' It's been a few decades since I reached that age and yes, it does fly.
Lately progress has been hampered by random setbacks and challenges. Progress slows, time speeds up.
The small business is run primarily by my daughter and wife. Sunday morning my daughter woke up to find the wheels and tires missing from her truck which was parked in a good neighborhood about fifteen feet from her door. The likely workers, probably young men, are disciplined and can do this job in two minutes. Unfortunately they do not have health care coverage and cannot look forward to Social Security and Medicare benefits. I hope next time they drop the car on their hands.
Upcoming Weekend Break...
For the last twenty years or so we've planted trees every spring on our rural property. Often we're asked 'why do you do that?' There are a few long answers but the simple one is that it's just the right thing to do. We're all mass consumers of paper and wood products, all corporately harvested, and who knows the ethics of their reforesting efforts. It's likely focused on future harvest opportunities, not biodiversity.
Our area was covered with 150' white pine trees in 1850, as were all MN, WI and MI counties east of the Mississippi. The lumber barons took it all and left the land baron. Our area was part of the Great Hinckley Fire of 1894 which consumed 250,000 acres and resulted in over 400 deaths. It was fueled by the slash, the leftover debris of logging.
As I plant I do think of that firestorm which destroyed a city and many families. Time flies and it's now almost anecdotal conversation, not news of a horrible man-made disaster or of great tragedy. The old train station in Hinckley is now a museum chronicling the Fire. Since the Grand Hinckley Casino opened about fifteen years ago it appears that the museum has lost it's patrons to the buffet line and slot machines.
After the fire the trees that grew were oak, birch, basswood and ash. The birches have now fallen victim to their age, several infestations of birch borers and rising temperatures. The oaks, once on the edge of zone 3 and subject to frost cracks now, also, are reaching their terminal age. The basswoods grow quickly and this must be the second or third round for them. They do make wonderful carving material but are soft and are poor firewood. The ask, especially the black ash, are treasured but soon will lose to the ash borer now infesting central Minnesota.
This year I'm far too busy to plant trees but I am going to plant trees. The focus is two areas where I've cut the poplars out and will give the red pine opportunity to grow. I'd rather do White Pine but they are tough to nuture and require fencing and bud capping each fall to reduce white tail deer browsing. During the 1850's there were very few deer but certainly elk and moose in the low lying areas.
Outplacement Service...
I was unable to meet with my outplacement guy this week but will work it in next week and bring closure to that process. I'm ready to get back in the office at least three or four days per week.
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