The Susie Forest

I’m housesitting in this cold snowy weather with no car. Now there’s lots of time to goof off, nap, and read. But I’m also using the time to work on supplies for the next tree planting season. Last month when I was here I made more than 200 tree-grams.

This time I brought rolls of Contac paper and bookmarks with the plan to make lots of laminates. “OK,” I said to myself, “I’ll fix a dozen a day and that will make 108 done by the time I leave for home.” Spreading it out was a good plan because I waited until the last few days during the December stay and had to work like crazy to cut up all the grocery bags I brought with me.

The first two days I did my twelve between naps and books. On the third day I finished up the partial roll of Contac paper and got out the second only to find that it was white and not clear. Only seven that day. Only 31 for my stay. Oh, well. But 31 will get me through quite a few trees.

But, yes I brought some twine to cut up! So I will have something to show for my “lazy” time.

I love staying at this house. I look out the front window and there are two Susie Forest street trees. Looking out the back window I can see three Susie Forest trees in Corbin Park and two street trees across the way. And out of sight to the left there are six more Susie Forest trees in the park. If the weather warms up a bit and the walking looks safe I’m going to go out and visit them all.

Even though it isn’t tree planting season things are still happening in the Susie Forest world. For one thing I’m writing on the blog.

Last Friday I went to the first tree meetings of the year and the Susie Forest was mentioned in the 2012 annual report of the Urban Forestry Department of the Parks Department. There’s also a picture of a little old lady who kind of looks like my mother holding the map of the Spokane Susie Forest tree. And that will be included in the Parks Department annual report too.

At the meeting I received support for my idea to offer trees for a grove in Newtown CT to honor those killed at Sandy Hook School. On Monday I called the Parks Department there and found that many trees have been offered but they would include one Susie Forest tree. The director liked the idea of an individual tree for each family and writing and hanging tree-grams. We will keep in touch.

Yesterday while I talked with the owner of C&H Auto (who has planted four Susie Forest trees at his place of business) and he asked if it was all right for him to donate a tree for an auction. Of course I said that I loved the idea. There have been trees donated to auctions for the Bicycle Alliance of Washington, the Methow Comservancy, the Lands Council, and a Jewish Congregation.

And this morning I emailed a set of pictures from the Cliff-Cannon Neighborhood Tree of the Year walk to be used as part of our neighborhood’s report to City Council this month.

So Susie Forest business continues. But as usual every winter I can’t wait for planting season to begin. I miss the high I get every time I watch a tree go into the ground and feel the excitement of the participants. And I feel Susie’s presence and approval.

Here I am on the first Wednesday of 2013 writing on the Susie Forest blog. Yay for me! Last year was such an awesome year for the Forest and now I have to figure out how to make this year even better.

Last year there were travels to Richland, Portland, Ottawa, Long Beach. Bridgeport and Bellingham to either plant trees or plan for them. We planted Katsuras and Lindens, Ponderosas and Maples, Dogwoods and Elms, and even a Canary Island Pine and a Palm Tree.

And lots more. There were 38 individual trees and a grove of ten Ponderosas for the tenth anniversary of Susie’s death.

There were great stories told: two Spokane parks turned 100, a tree for our new mayor, a tree chosen by the Shadle Library patrons, a tree to remember a young soccer lover and so many more. I loved meeting all the great people who came and helped plant the trees. And I loved introducing them to Susie.

I found pictures of Susie Forest tree plantings in the local Friendship Force brochure. And there was a peek at the original Susie tree in the Japanese Garden on a picture postcard and on the cover of a phone book.

A philanthropy class at Whitworth University, the Spokane Parks Board, and the Automotive Service Association all got to hear me talk about the Susie Forest.

What a great year!!

Time to start planning, Nancy.

I resolve to be back next week.

August is usually a “no tree” month, but not this year! Matt McCain found a way to plant Susie Forest trees in Afghanistan. Good job Matt!

This month I received an e-mail from a friend of Susie’s who, after much hard work got a dogwood planted at the new children’s museum in Olympia. Yeah!

I flew to Portland to dedicate another Tour des Trees Susie tree, but it hadn’t been planted. I did have time to talk with some of the bicycling arborists and was invited to next year’s tour in Toronto by Professor Pricklethorn himself. When this year’s tree is planted in November there will be a chance to cheer.

Then it was on to Ottawa and the thrill of dedicating a tree in a world capital. Thanks to the Canadians who helped work out a way to add a Susie tree even when it isn’t tree-planting season.

And then there was today, the last day of August. I hoped to hear back from a principal I’ve tried to contact about a Read for Trees program. This Bridgeport school is getting off to a new start with a principal who emphasizes reading. And there was a message from Winthrop that the Susie Stephens Trail will be ready for dedication and the planting of the Conservancy trees in October.

Earlier this month members of Friendship Force helped me dedicate a sugar maple in the capital of Canada. The tree is in Sherry Lane Park close by the home of my hostess. We couldn’t exactly tell which of the young trees planted in the area was the one the Parks Dept had designated, so we chose the one we liked best and it was decked out with tree-grams. Norm McLeod, a retired teacher, found a “mafia” of young girls at the playground and gave them the task of watching out for the tree. We told them about Susie and bribed them with tree-kibbles and bookmarks. This Susie tree has guardians. With the trees in Washington, and now Ottawa, the Susie Forest has to find a way to plant a tree in Mexico City.

I came to Portland to add more Susie trees to the Forest, to see all the arborists on bicyclists, and to see some old Spokane friends. After counting several trees in both Chicago and Virginia Beach, I hoped to add more here in Portland. When I got to the first park I found that there would be only one tree dedication. It was great watching the bicyclists leave on their last day on their tour and then drive over to the finish point and watch them arrive. I was the last person on the finale agenda, but then the organizers found that no tree had been planted. So, no Nancy on the agenda. I did work my way through the crowd pushing tree-kibbles so that I wouldn’t have to pack them back in the crammed suitcase.
I did give the whole dedication spiel to my Spokane friends who had never seen it. And they wrote tree-grams for me to hang in the next Spokane tree. And they said they would come back to Laurelhurst Park in November and find the white oak that the Tour promised would be planted then.
Now I’m off to Ottawa where we’ll dedicate a tree that has already been planted.

By me. I think I should accept this award with its beautiful calligraphy and fancy seals and signed with a flourish. I think I should have it framed and hung above my desk. And it should read “World’s Worst Blogger” or “World’s Worst New Year’s Resolution Keeper”. Should I add a lot of exclamation marks?

It’s August and I’ve written a paltry few blogs when so much has happened. But now that I have an IPad I think I will have more fun and get more Susie Forest stories out in the world. Then I’ll take that award off the wall and throw it in the trash.

Last week I spoke before a Philanthropy class at Whitworth University. While preparing for it I got lots of insights into The Susie Forest and my motives for devoting so much of my time and energy to it.

First of all, the giving part: I do donate enough money to plant 10 trees a year in Spokane city and county. This gives those governments more trees to plant than their budgets allow.  After planting a tree on the anniversary of Susie’s death and on her birthday, I have eight more trees and so I am giving those trees a second time to a group, a person or an event.

What I get back: These are not altruistic donations because I receive so much more than I give. First of all, I keep Susie’s name and influence out there in the world where she should BE! Secondly, I get this wonderful feeling as I help people find personal meaning in the trees we plant together. Thirdly, I meet the most wonderful people. Fourthly, Susie’s death has forced me to grow so much, so much that I can speak in front of classes and groups. And lastly, I get the most wonderful high every time a tree is planted and I want to keep planting trees so that I don’t have to come down.

It was COLD yesterday at Riverfront Park, but luckily there was no snow (like there was this morning). The last three trees were in the ground when I arrived and so the planting crew and I waited for the first of (I hoped) the many people I invited.

I was edgy and nervous as if I had never planted a tree before, but as the people arrived those feelings disappeared and were replaced by the feelings of joy that the spring plantings in the Susie Forest were beginning.

My friend Gene Lorenson from Friendship Force played the bagpipe as we walked toward the grove and began hanging the tree- grams. All of the ten trees were graced with messages of love and hope.

That’s what trees can do: Take a day of great sorrow and bring great joy to it.

Thanks to all the people who braved the raw weather and came out to help celebrate the great life that was Susie’s.

The 21st of March is a very sad day. It is the day of Susie’s death. And yet, now it is the start of a very happy time, the spring tree planting season. On Wednesday both these feelings will be very strong in me. It is the 10th anniversary of the worst day of my life, but we will be planting a Susie Grove of 10 trees and talking about the wonderful, dynamic person she was.
Tomorrow I will go down to Riverfront Park and watch most of the Ponderosa pines go into the ground and then on Wednesday people will come and we’ll plant the last of them. We’ll write tree-grams, eat cookies and talk about Susie and perhaps cry when the bagpiper plays Amazing Grace.
So here I sit with tears running down my cheeks dreading and looking forward to March 21st.