Making Like A Squirrel

remember · Posted: 23 Oct 2006 10:21 pm Post subject: Making Like A Squirrel

At the end of the meadow and into the woods there exist magical memories of Andrew. There are four oak trees growing from one spot, reaching high into the sky. This area of our farm is known as “Four Oaks”. When Andrew was sixteen, he harnessed up with climbing gear and spiked up one of the oaks, holding on for dear life. We have this precious memory on video and have pictures as well.

Further into the woods there is a “climbing tree” notched out along its trunk for easy climbing. Dave sculpted into this tree with a chainsaw when Andrew was 8 years old, cutting foot holds. At the top there is a resting spot where the tree was cut off, leading to a large limb that kind of reminds me of an elephant’s trunk. Andrew’s little sister, Jessie, loves this tree and knows that it was one of Andrew’s favorite places to play.

Even deeper into the woods, there is a tree stand for hunting. Andrew loved to collect railroad spikes, and this tree has a series of spikes driven into the trunk, much like rungs on a ladder. About thirty feet up, there is a loft for spying on the perfect buck. The tree has grown since Andrew used it and the spikes are now sinking deeper into the tree. It is harder to climb now. Andrew is gone, never to change any more, yet our world will continue to change and grow.

When you look to the top of the mountain, you will find Andrew’s fort. He carried lumber and roofing tin quite a distance into the woods to make this fort when he was about fourteen. It is a lean-to structure, perfect for deer hunting. Just the right size. We have recently discovered a tree next to the fort that has been chiseled out by a woodpecker. There are some normal-appearing holes there, but the one on the top is a sign from heaven, shaped like a heart. He fashioned a small stone wall bordering the edge of the fort and put together a fire ring to the side made of stone. Although the fort needs repaired, it is so beautiful there and I feel Andrew’s presence very strongly.

This time of year, autumn, I am constantly reminded of one of Andrew’s projects we did together. When Andrew was fourteen and fifteen, we would collect acorns and sell them to a local nursery for seed. This was so much fun, being in the woods together and making money for him to boot. It was a perfect time for really connecting, having heart-to-heart talks, and just goofing off as we always had a way of doing. It was like looking for tiny treasures on the ground. What an adventure! Of course, we always visited Four Oaks for its bountiful acorns. We would walk acres and acres of the farm, buckets and feed sacks in hand, straining to return home when they were full to the brim. There are specific places in the woods and on the road that I remember the flash of Andrew’s smile, ear to ear, full of love and excitement for life.

As it turns out, the treasure was not in the acorns and their bounty, but simply Andrew. Being with him, being lucky enough to have him as a son, even just knowing him at all…that was the real treasure.

Thank you, Andrew, for your sweet memories, and for being my precious son.
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Andrew's Mom