January 17

Gordon and I planted nine alders (red alder, Alnus rubra) and one evergreen huckleberry, Vaccinum

ovatum. We put these in close to the ones Ted and I planted yesterday. I think Gordon is excited

about planting, about the idea of my planting 365 trees this year, and about the head start Ted and I

got yesterday. Maybe my doing some planting is a nice affirmation of all the planting he's done here

over the years. And maybe he's feeling good about all we got done at Work Party yesterday -

tearing out plywood walls in our guest room, first carrying all the furniture out of that room, including

the huge bookcase and all its books. And the trees we planted.

These alders are ones I got bareroot from the BLM last spring. I traded my time potting spruce

seedlings, working with Gale, Kevin and Katie, at the BLM nursery in Tillamook, near the youth

detention facility by the blimp hangars, to 'earn' these. The BLM folks are happy to get the help, and happy to

get trees, like these alders, that are a little damaged or pot-bound, into the riparian ground along

local rivers.

The huckleberry is one I grew from a cutting. I planted it near our small (very small) pond, up

the hill.