I was
walking out of a swampy Hemlock forest, tripping and stumbling over various
obstacles left by a recent bulldozer visit.
It had been clearing a path for loggers coming to harvest the landlocked
forty acres that had provided us with a favorite hunting spot for several
years.
I noticed a
half buried eight foot long red cedar remnant poking its way out of the brush
looking like a lost orphan seeking a ride home.
Red Cedar, being one of my favorite ornamental woods, prompted me to
pull out my folding saw, cut it in half, and drag it a half mile back to the
truck.
The above
ground portion soon became coasters turned on my old wood lathe, but the root
section sat in the garage, for- would you guess- about twenty five years,
contemplating-on occasion-a suitable fate.
One day, my
faithful brother looked at the long forgotten piece of cedar root and mumbled
something like “it looks like a loon”.
Lo and
behold, prompted by his artistic conception, I embarked upon the transformation
of the lowly cedar root into one of my favorite rustic creations, Mrs. Loon and
her two chicks.
She will
probably find a spot to sit for years to come, and early on some mornings I
think I hear her calling. A beautiful
cry. A reminder that there is no such
thing as an ugly duckling. If we look
hard enough, we can find beauty in everything.
