This will make you smile

In the muck at Kopachuck

It was too cold outside, too rainy and gray.

Did we really have to go out there today?

It's cozy in here, nice and warm in my room.

Is the plan to go out into that stormy gloom?

"Yes of course -there's a place, come with me and you'll see

today they are going to plant new baby trees."

Plant trees, you say? On this cold rainy day?

Outside in the park?  Brrrrrrrr - no way, go away!

Just believe me, you'll see all the fun there will be

getting muddy and dirty planting shrubs and new trees.

Now finish your pancakes, we can all walk together.

We are  not afraid of a little wet weather!

So out we went into the dirt and the muck

over the hill to the park we call Kopachuck.

And when we  arrived  we were amazed to find

a whole bunch of people planting plants of all kinds.

There were cedars and  hemlocks, vine maple, snowberry;

some indian plum -  over 300 to carry!

Then more people came - scouts, kids and families

wearing hats and gloves, dressed in old dungarees.

What a sight to behold in the rain and the cold

from the very young to the almost too old.

They chose their plant and looked all around

for the perfect spot to dig in the ground.

The Ranger had shown us just what to do.

"Dig the hole deep enough and plenty wide too.

Then loosen the roots and fill in with loam

so your tree will grow tall in its new forest home".

I began to imagine how my tree would grow

How tall would it get, how high would it go?

A feeling of warmth then came over me

as gazed at the ground  at my wonderful tree.

Then I looked around to see such happy faces

working in nature at one of their favorite places.

And somehow I knew that many years from today

I would be ever thankful  I was part of this day.

Linda Gough, March 31, 2012

Replanting day at Kopachuck