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Monday, November 29, 2010

The girl who played among the trees



Sometimes our dreams are actually our reality in color...


Last night I had a dream. It has lingered with me like many of my more meaningful dreams do....

I saw a girl with long dark hair walking into a woods line with a dog. He was her companion. I know this because he walked willingly beside her. She never spoke or looked at him though. She didn't have to. It was like they were connected, internally linked.  Each confident stride was like they were walking towards their preordained destiny.   I wondered where they were going.


As the girls feet touched the leaf littered forest floor she morphed into a tall cedar tree. Her legs turned to ruff flaky bark, as the transformation continued up her body. The last part of her human self to change was her left hand. Simultaneously the dog morphed into a man. In the split second of their simultaneous transformation the man and girl were holding hands. He never looked at her but continued walking forward in his human form releasing her hand as the space between them widened with each step.

Then I woke up. I'm wasn't sure why the image of the dog man and the Cedar tree girl holding hands stuck with me. Having it do so makes me wonder of it's deeper meaning... Maybe it means I had an extra heaping of crazy?
...................

The other day I had made a comment to my mom that I wanted to plant pine trees along the our property line. She suggested that I transplant the volunteer cedar trees out of their flower garden. Although I understood her suggestion as being a good start for my project, I don't really like Cedar trees. I like the wood after its been planed. I like the smell of the wood, but as far as the actual tree... its not much to look at if you ask me.

I wavered back and fourth on the idea of transplanting them. Even though I don't really like the looks of cedar,  I just hate to pass up free trees. "Surely I could fit them in somewhere" I thought.

As I was digging my holes for my new Cedars, I drifted back into images from my childhood. I use to play in the woods all the time as a child. My brother and I built our own little village out there. We moved fallen trees to create forts and collected stones to use as a work stations (for mud pies). But many times I found myself out in the woods alone with no one to play with me. I didn't like playing village with out any "villagers" so I would pretend that some of the trees were people. Specifically there was this super large tree. (I'm unsure of the variety).  I would pretend that he was an old wise man (like a chief). He was a good strong man that looked after the village. He kept the peace. Then there was this locust tree. He was tall with long spines protruding from his bark. He was always causing a ruckus in the village. The old wise tree didn't like the grumpy Locust....

One day while playing in the village I stumbled upon a small cedar tree.  This little seedling stuck out among the many because it had a strange orange fungus of some sort on its tiny trunk. I loved the little tree and pretended that it was a small child in the village.

Eventually the fungus spread. I dug my small tree up and showed it to my mom. She told me that the fungus would probably eventually kill the little tree. I don't remember if I shared with my mom how sad that news made me but I'm sure she knew as I was determined to save my friend.

I went out to my dads work shop and pealed the fungus off the little tree with his wood carving tool. I planted the little Cedar tree in the wind break row next to the house. I checked on the little tree often.

I drove by  my old childhood home the other day and the once little tree is now a huge towering Cedar!

When I saw my childhood Cedar I  thought "Wow, he has grown into a wise old man"!

So this morning as I planted this little guy,

I thought to myself... "Cedar trees are in my roots".  I laughed at the epiphany.

16 comments:

  1. leigh, interesting post- many times i wish i could understand my own dreams. Sometimes they make a little sense, other times i am in situations that could not happen in this life time. Not sure how the brain power puts things together in a particular sequence and then plays them on the dream screen. If you or some of your posting friends figure this out please share with the rest of this. dreams sometimes take us on incredible journeys. Jim

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  2. Just curious, do you know that cedar trees are the host for the "rust" on apples?

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  3. Oh my gosh this was such a wonderful post!
    Really beautiful story.

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  4. Jim,
    Incredible journeys indeed. Its odd how images manifest themselves in a dream. O what I wouldnt give to know the hows and whys of dreaming. :)

    Gorges,
    I didn't know that... errr.... so planting my little cedars near the orchard wasn't the best idea....

    Rev,
    I wasn't sure if I conveyed all the connections in the story so I am very happy to hear you liked it. :)

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  5. Probably not, Leigh. You might want to google Cedar-Apple Rust.

    I hate that, 'cause I like both cedar trees and apples!

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  6. I love it, Leigh. I have never cared for cedar trees either, until I bought this old farmhouse... she has a giant cedar in front and I have fallen in love with that tree.

    Your story is simply beautiful, and I am certain it will continue to cross my mind, as I nurture this already grown giant cedar here.

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  7. I believe our dreams mean something, even if it's something little. You obviously have a connection with trees! Good friends to have! ha ha

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  8. loved this story..thanks for sharing that memory ; )

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  9. Gorges,
    Thanks a ton for the info! I looked over the little guys pretty good when I planted them. Im not too concerned with them but when I found this site http://plantclinic.cornell.edu/FactSheets/cedar-applerust/cedar-applerust.htm
    It had pics of the gull which I have seen on a cedar on our property. So I am formulating a game plan. Seriously Gorges thanks a lot. Now I know exactly what effected my apple trees last spring! :) Ill keep you posted on the progress.

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  10. Judy,
    I don't know why but they just seem to suck us in don't they!? Let me know when you name it! ;)

    Karen,
    I think dreams do have meanings too. Boy is it frustrating when you think its going to have a deep profound meaning and then comes to find out it was fairly simple to begin with... aye my life story. lol!

    Martijn,
    Happy that you liked it!

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  11. Tberry,
    You are very welcome! Glad you like!

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  12. That is a beautiful story! I have strange dreams all the time and I believe that sometimes they do have meanings. I'm glad you are planting a windbreak of your special trees!

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  13. lovely post Leigh,
    It's clear that your connected deeply to trees, not just with your dream but with the other things you share with us via your scribing. There is something different and special about them for sure.
    John

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  14. Fantastic piece of writing, Leigh. Life experience, wishes, etc. and how they manifest themselves into our dreams is a marvel. This particular one of yours, in my mind, would have been neat to view. Which means you described it wonderfully. Thank you for sharing it!

    But now I have a problem. I love apple trees. I love cedar trees (love to smudge with them and they provide some greenery while walking around here come winter time). It's too bad one may not be good for another. Sad really.

    Take care -

    Casey

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  15. Your dream reminds me of what the Old Ones talked about...A Vision. I have those kind of dreams but I cannot say they were a vision though...but hey you never know. Remember it...it was a good one!

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