Chain Saw Art

Redwood trees belong in stately groves. They do not make good lawn trees. They are very big and very messy. Their shallow roots are vulnerable if they are walked on. They drop all kinds of debris and nothing can grow underneath them.

If you looked around our old neighborhood in Berkeley, you could see dozens of redwood trees rising from back yards and towering over even big two story homes. The story goes that around the turn of the century, a local bank gave away redwood burls to people who opened accounts. Naturally, many of them got planted beside the front door or in the back garden, where they quickly grew to massive proportions. and through foundations and sewer pipes.

Nobody likes to cut down a redwood tree, and they are protected in parts of Santa Rosa. We have friends who bought a wooded lot on a hillside in Santa Rosa. and were told that they could cut down the trees for a house as long as they paid a mitigation fee so that trees could be planted elsewhere. It wasn't until they began getting permits for their house that they found out that they could cut down other trees, but the redwoods had to stay. They built a house around the trees, but it was dark, and cold and they couldn't use the spacious deck because it was almost impossible to keep it cleared of debris. Although it was meant to be their dream house, they sold it after a few years.

I don't know why this tree was cut down, but the homeowners have come up with a clever solution. Dana called to tell me he was up on the scaffolding working on his creation yesterday, but when we drove past today he wasn't there, I really like the little tree he has made from the big tree and will continue to drive by from time to time to monitor his progress....

I am covered more or less head to foot in flour. I have just made the building materials for two gingerbread houses for Owen and Maya to decorate tomorrow. Now I must go and make some appetizers for a neighborhood cocktail party tonight.