Cedar, a familiar scent

I remember when I was a kid, I had a childhood friend who always spoke of having a hope chest, what in the world was that? One day I mustered up the courage and asked her about it, I was astonished at her reply. She told me it was a trunk that contained items for the wedding she wants. Well, I've since learned this lofty goal could also be called, a wish chest, a future chest and a want chest. It can also house anything you yearn for in planning your adulthood, for example, college or career.

My friend further piqued my interest by telling me the chest had to be made of cedar because no matter what...cedar kept the moths and insects away. How right she was!

I myself had never had the pleasure of smelling cedar. I can remember passing cedar mothballs being sold in the store. I couldn't resist taking a wiff and to this day I still have to smell them whenever I see them on the shelf . A strong pungent odor which when first scented, one never forgets. Seems as though this lovely wood has its own preservatives growing and alive within its trunk. The wood when used for fences and whatnot, takes along time to decay, if ever. Other wood rots from the inside out, cedar is the only known lumber to rot from the outside in. So if anything, the fence posts will become smaller in size before falling over and becoming useless. Cedar chips are also the best mulch.

Imagine my excitement when I first moved to our property and Jack of All Trades introduced me to a cedar sapling. The sight of this tree was just as I thought it would be; it has a lacy conifer foliage and a gray hairy like trunk. Twelve years ago, the people I took care of cut me ten-10 feet long cedar posts as a surprise gift. We made the playground set out of them, and after all this time our main swingset poles are still going strong.

These trees can also make wonderful shrubs. They are a relatively slow growing bush when hedge cut, and withstand our Maine snow amounts. The two pictures are my shaped cedar growing around the pond and in front of my rock wall, they have been growing for about ten years and are a nice addition to a year round green landscape.

The first picture is of my daughters toy box I made for her in the year 2000, I couldn't find anything in the shops that fit my needs so I fashioned this box out of oak pallets we had from a boiler install. The pallets cushioned the boiler and were wrapped in plastic around the appliance. Perhaps one day.....when we are done lining our closet with red cedar, I will use the leftovers to finish the inside of her toybox.... if only, just for her hope of a future box.

In the garden.....checking for skeletons..finding it empty.