trees
I think that I shall never see–an ugly tree
Joyce Kilmer said it best in the early 1900's when he wrote "I think that I shall never see, a poem lovely as a tree."
I thought of that poem one day last week as I was traveling for my job. I figured as long as I had to travel 160 miles, with gas over three dollars a gallon, I might as well enjoy the ride and do some sight-seeing.
Right away the trees caught my eye. (Also keeping my eye on the road, of course.)
The highway that takes you from Baraboo to Fox Lake to Beaver Dam has a feeling of the mountains. The hills rise high on both sides of the road, and are covered with every kind of tree.
Then I came upon a whole woods of white birches, my favorite tree. I pulled into a roadside and took a minute to remember..
My mom and dad, sister and myself were on vacation in the North Woods. I was about nine, my sister five years younger. It was the last trip we took as a family. Shortly after, my folks bought a tavern and it was year ‘round work.
That day we didn’t have a care in the world. We were surrounded by the tall beautiful birches. We ran through the woods, playing tag with our folks. We ended up at lake’s edge, out of breath and laughing. When I see birch trees, I think of that day and how perfect it was..
I don’t see willow trees very often. There was a perfect one in our home in Illinois.. The branches all touched the ground. My husband was a quiet guy. There were times he would sit out there by that tree. A little neighbor boy would come over, sit beside him and they would just talk. I always wondered what they talked about. .Eventually the willow got cut down. It was sad to see it go.
Come to think of it, I really like all trees.
The thing about trees is they do not discriminate. They grow in all kinds of soil, they even grow out of rock. They grow next to each other, not caring what kind their neighbor is. Evergreens share their space with dead trunks holding gnarly branches, trees still dressed in their beautiful colors, and trees whose green leaves refuse to turn.
I still had trees on my mind as I turned onto 12 and 18, and almost home. In the middle of a mown corn field, stood one lone evergreen. It would look great decorated for Christmas. But they would have to have a heck of a long extension cord.
Then came the apple orchard. I never noticed it much all summer. Now with the fruit and leaves gone, those trees have a strange shape with a personality of their own.
Maybe the trees make such a statement in the fall because there are no flowers or plants to get our attention. Now is their time to shine.
If you walk or drive down the lake road, take a look. There is every kind of tree you can imagine. Even a willow tree.
I’ll stick up for the big firs the utility company mutilated. It isn’t their fault. They are not ugly, just very interesting.
As I finished my day, and my tree gazing, I pulled into my drive and saw the big stump that used to be the towering elm in our front yard.
That stump is not ugly, either. I won’t dig it up.. When I look at it, I do not see a stump. I see my dad standing under those huge branches, saying, "Sold." on the day he bought the cottage.
Fall is a time of changes. Our cooking changes from picnics to comfort food. It is time for more casseroles and crock-pot recipes.
I improvised on this one when it called for 2 packages of wild rice. I went to the store and it was $5 plus for one package. I said to myself, "No, I don’t think so." Then I saw Rice-a-
roni wild rice for a buck a package. I tried it, and it worked!
Chicken and rice, economy style
you will need:
2 6 ounce package Wild Rice-a-rani
2-3 cups diced cooked chicken
2 cans green beans, drained, or 8 ounce frozen cut green beans, cooked
1 8 ounce can water chestnuts, drained and chopped
1 medium onion, sauted
one can mushroom, drained, or 4 ounces fresh (optional)
one cup shredded cheddar
one can condensed celery soup
one can water
1 cup Mayo, not Miracle Whip
Cook rice to directions
Mix all ingredients together except soup, water and mayo
When mixed, add soup and mayo
add water if necessary to make moist
Bake in greased casserole dish at 350 for 20-25 minutes, or until bubbly
Serve with Mandarin oranges on the side
And enjoy
Joyce Kilmer said it best in the early 1900's when he wrote "I think that I shall never see, a poem lovely as a tree."
I thought of that poem one day last week as I was traveling for my job. I figured as long as I had to travel 160 miles, with gas over three dollars a gallon, I might as well enjoy the ride and do some sight-seeing.
Right away the trees caught my eye. (Also keeping my eye on the road, of course.)
The highway that takes you from Baraboo to Fox Lake to Beaver Dam has a feeling of the mountains. The hills rise high on both sides of the road, and are covered with every kind of tree.
Then I came upon a whole woods of white birches, my favorite tree. I pulled into a roadside and took a minute to remember..
My mom and dad, sister and myself were on vacation in the North Woods. I was about nine, my sister five years younger. It was the last trip we took as a family. Shortly after, my folks bought a tavern and it was year ‘round work.
That day we didn’t have a care in the world. We were surrounded by the tall beautiful birches. We ran through the woods, playing tag with our folks. We ended up at lake’s edge, out of breath and laughing. When I see birch trees, I think of that day and how perfect it was..
I don’t see willow trees very often. There was a perfect one in our home in Illinois.. The branches all touched the ground. My husband was a quiet guy. There were times he would sit out there by that tree. A little neighbor boy would come over, sit beside him and they would just talk. I always wondered what they talked about. .Eventually the willow got cut down. It was sad to see it go.
Come to think of it, I really like all trees.
The thing about trees is they do not discriminate. They grow in all kinds of soil, they even grow out of rock. They grow next to each other, not caring what kind their neighbor is. Evergreens share their space with dead trunks holding gnarly branches, trees still dressed in their beautiful colors, and trees whose green leaves refuse to turn.
I still had trees on my mind as I turned onto 12 and 18, and almost home. In the middle of a mown corn field, stood one lone evergreen. It would look great decorated for Christmas. But they would have to have a heck of a long extension cord.
Then came the apple orchard. I never noticed it much all summer. Now with the fruit and leaves gone, those trees have a strange shape with a personality of their own.
Maybe the trees make such a statement in the fall because there are no flowers or plants to get our attention. Now is their time to shine.
If you walk or drive down the lake road, take a look. There is every kind of tree you can imagine. Even a willow tree.
I’ll stick up for the big firs the utility company mutilated. It isn’t their fault. They are not ugly, just very interesting.
As I finished my day, and my tree gazing, I pulled into my drive and saw the big stump that used to be the towering elm in our front yard.
That stump is not ugly, either. I won’t dig it up.. When I look at it, I do not see a stump. I see my dad standing under those huge branches, saying, "Sold." on the day he bought the cottage.
Fall is a time of changes. Our cooking changes from picnics to comfort food. It is time for more casseroles and crock-pot recipes.
I improvised on this one when it called for 2 packages of wild rice. I went to the store and it was $5 plus for one package. I said to myself, "No, I don’t think so." Then I saw Rice-a-
roni wild rice for a buck a package. I tried it, and it worked!
Chicken and rice, economy style
you will need:
2 6 ounce package Wild Rice-a-rani
2-3 cups diced cooked chicken
2 cans green beans, drained, or 8 ounce frozen cut green beans, cooked
1 8 ounce can water chestnuts, drained and chopped
1 medium onion, sauted
one can mushroom, drained, or 4 ounces fresh (optional)
one cup shredded cheddar
one can condensed celery soup
one can water
1 cup Mayo, not Miracle Whip
Cook rice to directions
Mix all ingredients together except soup, water and mayo
When mixed, add soup and mayo
add water if necessary to make moist
Bake in greased casserole dish at 350 for 20-25 minutes, or until bubbly
Serve with Mandarin oranges on the side
And enjoy
posted by Shirley | 4:15 PM
|
0 comments
