The 66th Annual Lower Umpqua River Tree Planting Project

One of the things I love about not going to work is that I'm available to go to work with Brian. I used to love those days during Spring Break or over the summer when I'd wake up early and head out to the woods with him. The smell of his work truck, eating lunch out of Tupperware, bouncing up dirt roads to the far reaches of the Coast Range...these all made the day different than normal (for me, anyway) and therefore unique and special! I've gotten to drive his manual diesel truck (not sure if that's allowed, but it was fun and made Brian's day easier. I dropped him off at the top of a ridge and picked him up at the bottom.) We see unnamed waterfalls. We use the CB to warn log trucks of our approach around corners. Lots of excitement! Since Joseph arrived, there has only been one excursion so far, because Joseph's car seat can't fit in the work truck, so he needs an all-day babysitter. This week, though, we got to do something that was fun for the whole family...tree planting with school kids!

The kids in the Elkton and Reedsport school districts have been planting trees for 66 years now...that means the first one was back in 1945!

One of the buses was overheating, so we took a break on the way up. I stopped right next to this sign.

I'm not sure how it all began, but nowadays, it works like this: Roseburg Resources (Brian's company) donates the land. The BLM donates the trees. A woman in Reedsport school district coordinates the whole thing. And there is a free hot dog lunch afterward at the Scottsburg park on the Umpqua River.  Fifth and sixth graders get a talk in the classroom a week ahead of time, then a refresher course on the unit, about how to plant a tree. (It's not as easy as, dig a hole. Well, it sort of is. But the type of hole, how you put the tree in, and what you do afterward are also very important.) So I've been hearing about the tree planting for a few years now, and this year, Brian invited me and Joseph to come along. I was so excited, I woke up early that morning and couldn't go back to sleep. It was like Christmas or something.

 So here it is. The kids work in pairs. One has the shovel and the other carries a bag of about 25 seedlings. Roseburg picks a unit that needs to be planted and is relatively easy for the kids to walk on, i.e. flat and burned. There are lots of adults who show up to help...teachers, parents, Roseburg employees, BLM employees, fire patrol guys, an ambulance...there are almost as many adults as kids! I was impressed, they already had the sign up for this year!

 We're ready to plant! Brian had a pair of gloves for me. We helped kids mostly. Some of the stories Brian tells from years in the past are hilarious. They've found trees that are upside down...poor little roots up in the air, green needles firmly lodged in the soil. Once, there was an entire bunch of trees--about twenty or so--stuck in one hole. They got replanted.

 Joseph relaxing in Dad's truck after all that hard work. Oooh, pink flagging tape! Let me just help out a bit with this rip in the seat.

 Look at me go!

 I can't quite see over the dashboard...and the pedals might be a reach.

 This truck was right next to the park where we had lunch. The driver hit the bank on the other side, flipped over, and skidded down the highway for over 100 feet. He was fine, though. The truck, not so much.

 Brian in front of the hot dog happenings.

 We had some sun breaks! Joseph and Brian are checking out the swollen Umpqua River.

The kids arrived and were more than ready for some hot dogs and fudgsicles!

Yay for the next generation of trees, and yay for my wonderful husband who takes care of them. :)