We now have a Willow Hut!

 Saturday, March 5th, 2011 - Willow Hut Building Day!!!

We were so fortunate to have the help of our very awesome Elm Tree community to build the willow structure!  Many thanks to Lizy, Anne, Ryan, Seema and Andy for volunteering their time!!!  And many thanks to my folks for letting my harvest willow from their ranch!  We promise to give them a good home.

 
To begin with, we needed to uncover bare ground for the willow to take root in.  Ryan staked out the perimeter of the dome and Andy prepared to pound the rebar stakes.  Then Ryan dug the sod out in the footprint of the hut and tunnel while Andy made holes for the willow rods to go in. 

Meanwhile Seema and Anne (and kiddos) sorted through the willow rods and prepared them for planting.

Next we put the willow into the holes and started tying them together in the shape of a dome.  It was kind of like putting together a puzzle...a living puzzle. 






I really enjoyed the community effort of putting the structures together, it went very smoothly and everyone contributed exactly what we needed to get it done, whether it be knowledge, creative problem-solving, specific skills, inspiration or a sense of humor.  It's so lovely to be part of this warm and lovely community!



The kids got in on the helping too!



Next we added the willows for the tunnel and began tying and criss-crossing them to make it sturdy and functional.  It was challenging to find a smooth way to attach the tunnel and hut together, but ultimately I think we found a great solution!

In the Spring this will leaf out and fill in with branches, creating a most magical and beautiful place for children to lie in the grass on warm summer days and contemplate the meaning of life...or cookies, or whatever it is that children contemplate on warm summer days..



The Finished Product!