On Digging Holes...

     The thing about holes is that they tend to fill up, whether it be with dirt, rock, litter, or in today's case, mud. One of my projects this week was a tree-planting at our soon to be offices, with hole-digging and planting staggered over a few days, and the rain decided to cooperate by pro-actively filling my nicely dug spot to the brim with water.

     Mud slogging, finger digging, jean-staining mess ensued, with one dogwood in the ground and a redbud waiting to be planted. Word of advice: don't plant a tree in a hole filled with water. They don't like it that much, and good luck trying to bail that sucker out. So, when you dig a hole, fill it quickly, before mother nature finds some nefarious purpose for it that's probably pretty messy.

     Now, if you happen to dig yourself a hole and have no intention of filling it, then don't count yourself lucky yet; water does not count as proper filling, and it'll take years of filling before it's done.

     In other words, if you're going to plant a tree, do it like these guys, in the sunshine. 

Eric Bradford (Volunteer Coordinator & all around awesome guy) & Win Southworth (long-time volunteer) planting a tree.