This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Community Corner

The Wind in the Willows

Watch willows weeping, waving, and celebrating life.

Beautiful spring weather brought on my yearly allergy, spring fever. Like “Mole” in the children’s classic, The Wind in the Willows, I got bored being inside, impatient with spring cleaning, so ventured out into the sun. Longer daylight extended my adventures fed by wanderlust.

Out to the ocean and along the bay I ventured. I ended up in Sonoma County exploring vineyards and valleys, colored green and yellow. Breathing in the pastoral scenes and refreshing colors fueled my spirit of adventure along back roads that eventually brought me home—refreshed, renewed and ready to do what seemed mundane just a few days ago.

Outside the are magnificent weeping willows, almost as wide as they are tall. Long, narrow leaves are draped on flexible branches, drooping like curtains and swaying in the breeze.

Behind the curtains and under the tree is where I went to take photos of the leaves blowing into the blue sky. As gusts of wind moved branches, I heard melodic whispering, like a lullaby, which brought me back to childhood memories and the willow in my backyard. I hid from my sisters under it. I climbed in it, bounced on the flexible branches, and actually fell out once. The wind was knocked out of me until I looked up and saw the willow pushing air towards me as I gasped for breath. I remember whispering, “Thank you,” and secretly knew I had a tree friend.

Children’s books, like The Wind in the Willows, opened the world to me.  The stories awed me with examples of sadness and celebration, fear and faith, and most important, loving nature and life itself.

Just three days ago I returned to the weeping willows for inspiration. Something looked different as I walked toward the trees. The largest one, the elder, was missing. Only a fresh, clean-cut stump remained where the living, breathing tree stood proud and strong. As sadness swept over me, I noticed a young weeping willow just a few feet away and another mature one across the sidewalk. Watching their leaves in the breeze, I wondered if they were weeping the loss of the elder willow, waving to me, celebrating life, or all of it.

Do you know what happened to the elder weeping willow by the library. Let us know in the comments below.

Download the movie

Find out what's happening in Millbraewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?