The property's been in my family since 1951. I inherited a quarter of the property
and my mom deeded it to us, four undivided shares. We had to grace about four
hundred thousand dollars to buy my siblings out and have some money to
rebuild the cabin. We never had clear-cut anything until 2004 we had to make some
money so my wife and I picked classes on timber, how to log, etc., etc. We learned from that
that they're a harvestable plant and we knew right away, okay we can do
this and we replanted as soon as possible because we love our trees.
So it's our intent to keep and only use it in case something major happens but it
worked out. It has worked out I mean you can see we had the growth has taken over
the trees are growing strong and healthy that's not why we wanted to keep the
property particularly it just happens to be an asset that's here already.
Fortunately, I don't know, we grossed about $600,000 and lo and behold by the
time we paid off but we had to pay off we had our four hundred thousand dollars
to finish it had to be done. That's how we came to owner. My thinking about
logging changed a lot I am a tree hugger but I understand that it is a renewable
product it just takes a long time to renew it. I mean the way we left this it looks
like you're in a deep forest which is what we wanted. It's basically us keeping
special trails open by our own hard labor, try to keep particularly in our
recreation area here in the flat open and accessible to all who want to come
and share it. The emotional benefits I think it's a place when things aren't
going well you want to come here. It has brought all the family back
together including in our own small family. What is so cool is we started
hearing from the cousins again and their kids who are now in their 60s remember
it and so they're bringing their kids and like the family history on the board
they're all coming out again we all gather here and suddenly love prevails.
It's kind of corny but it does and we've known people that grown up in the city
and when we tell them about the place I almost want to bring them here so that
they can know what it really feels like and some of them I have been able to
bring here and they suddenly realize but, we couldn't put into words for them they
get on this property and they realize that they feel it and that that pleases
me very much. And again, when we're down here suddenly we feel, we feel whole
again. I think for me the land is necessary
it's part and firm for me is it's spiritual it
helps me rejuvenate my own spirit. It's just calming to be here and I just come
down here and sit and listen to the water. It's all very emotional and
fulfilling my spirit. I just remembered something my dad said to me, one thing he
was a reluctant harvester, he'd say "you know a hundred years from now people
will travel for miles to this property just to see a tree", stressful world. This place
seems to get more important healing property all the time. Too much
negativity is going on and so this is a place to leave it out there. My family,
they're glad that we are the guardians of the property, you feel very secure for
the next two generations that our property is in good hands and it will
remain in the family, I'm sure.
These are called sorrel, I believe. They taste like green apples.