Trees are precious when they're alive, breathing for the world. When they fall, they become warmth, shelter, comfort, beauty for us. This is a story of some trees from my neck of the woods and all the days they lived, both breathing and not...
Timber Frame Nursury
This is where it all begins. Some choice land, a little bit of sunshine and some squirrels and you're all set! Maybe 80 or 150 years, maybe more...
Timber Frame Nursury Part deux
This is what it looks like before it all began again. But don't worry, all wasn't lost...
Native CA Redwood
This particular wood was salvaged by anonymous donors after the trees fell in the 2007 Griffith Park Fire. Once destined to become chips for garden beds, this tree went on to do great and many things...
First Incarnation
The Griffith Park Teahouse is back in the park from where it grew up. It's also got a view of where it was built. From fire in 2007 to structure in 2015, all within 1 square mile, you don't get any more local, sustainable, or renewable than that! Or do you...
Griffith Park Bench
To memorialize the Griffith Park Teahouse, a bench was commissioned to take its permanent place. But that's only half the story...
Griffith Park Sister Bench
Here's the other half of the log that is the Griffith Park Bench. Also the knee braces on the bed frame are cut-offs. What else can be made from some of the last of the native CA Redwoods in Griffith Park...
Swinging Bench
How about this handsome swinging bench for one thing...
Los Angeles Wishes
Or these cards, upon which wishes were cast and hung on a peg in the Teahouse...
Business Cards
Or these business cards. It's such special wood, I can't just throw it away...
Garden Cover
Finally, the heavier shavings and pieces were ultimately used in the garden from which they were originally saved. It's a beautiful story really and one which I hope gets told more frequently. That's up to you...