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I was at the doc office this a.m. for a follow-up visit, waiting and a man close to my age (REALLY OLD!) checked in, turned to be seated, saw my cane and literally stopped in his tracks and said,"That's a diamond willow, isn't it?"
"YES, it is!" I replied.
"Did you get that in Alaska?"
I laughed and said no, I found it here locally, and he began to tell us why he had asked saying he had visited his daughter and son-in-law in Alaska and brought back some sticks - Diamond Willow - and had made a cane a lot like mine.
I made this cane in the summer of 2014 but now carry it in the car and use it for every step I take - including to the doctor's office. And that's the first time anyone other than you guys who recognized the tree specie. FUN!
Now this. Yesterday driving on a city street I saw two limbs laying alongside the curb way too long to get inside the car so I came home, tucked the limb chopper into the trunk and went back. Chop chop chop chop!
One of those MAY be a diamond willow. Both sticks were covered with dried mud, and I'm thinking they had fallen into the creek and someone threw them up into the street waiting for the chopper.
I washed off both sticks, left them to dry outside overnight and within the past hour took a closer look. There's a lot of dead bark to peel away and it will be perhaps a month - or more - before I get to these two sticks, but stay tuned, folks. This could be another of those "in the beauty of the beholder only" projects.
Here's the one and only for certain diamond willow in my possession as of 10/2/2015.
-neb
"YES, it is!" I replied.
"Did you get that in Alaska?"
I laughed and said no, I found it here locally, and he began to tell us why he had asked saying he had visited his daughter and son-in-law in Alaska and brought back some sticks - Diamond Willow - and had made a cane a lot like mine.
I made this cane in the summer of 2014 but now carry it in the car and use it for every step I take - including to the doctor's office. And that's the first time anyone other than you guys who recognized the tree specie. FUN!
Now this. Yesterday driving on a city street I saw two limbs laying alongside the curb way too long to get inside the car so I came home, tucked the limb chopper into the trunk and went back. Chop chop chop chop!
One of those MAY be a diamond willow. Both sticks were covered with dried mud, and I'm thinking they had fallen into the creek and someone threw them up into the street waiting for the chopper.
I washed off both sticks, left them to dry outside overnight and within the past hour took a closer look. There's a lot of dead bark to peel away and it will be perhaps a month - or more - before I get to these two sticks, but stay tuned, folks. This could be another of those "in the beauty of the beholder only" projects.
Here's the one and only for certain diamond willow in my possession as of 10/2/2015.
-neb
