Last night I received word about Jim Flott, the first arborist I worked with in Spokane and his wife Merri Hartse that I worked with at the library. Their daughter Grace is studying in Paris and last week was badly injured in a gas explosion and fire at an apartment she was visiting. The only means of escape was to jump from the fourth floor. She is dealing with burns, heat inhalation and broken bones. Jim and Merri have rushed to be with her. Here I am wanting to help and not knowing what to do. After a weekend dealing with the loss of my own daughter this has hit me very hard. So I did what I know how to do – I wrote a tree-gram. I went by the South Hill Library with a handful and people who knew them wrote messages. I took them to the tree on 35th and Ray that I planted last year for Jim and hung them from the branches. I stood at the foot of this young Bur Oak, held tight to its rough bark and sent all the wishes on that tree toward Paris. Under the tree I left a plastic bag with more tree-grams and a note.

Mike hanging up tree-grams

I hope that more people who know them will come buy and add more to the tree; I hope that walkers through the neighborhood will stop and add more.

Everyone who reads this, please send thoughts and wishes and prayers toward Paris.