The Giving Tree

You know the old saying “Good things come to those that wait?”  Well, as Creepy Dead Tree stood there for years looking all dead and creepy, waiting for a rewarding repurpose, good things did come from this tree.  As Sean and I discussed the hope of making some things from this tree, we thought that it would be great if we could ask Adam to cut a few stepping stones out of the trunk.  So, we asked and Adam cut away.

Since the tree was pretty knotty, there was only a small section where he could cut slices without hitting too many knots.  He was able to get 9 stepping stones cut, which we were very happy about.

Then there was a section that was super knotty and super cool-looking, where the bark came off, and it just so happens to be the perfect height for an outdoor side table.  So I asked Adam to set that aside with the stepping stones.  He offered to move the future side table and stepping stones to the back for us, and before I could even think about what I was saying, I blurted out, “oh no.  Please.   Just leave them there, Sean and I can move everything.”

What was I thinking??!!  That really-cool-future-side-table is beyond heavy and is still sitting down on the east yard.  But the rest we were able to move.

We decided to put these stepping stones in our garden, but first, I needed to seal them to protect them from weather.

I painted on two coats of polyurethane all over each one, letting each coat dry completely.

When the sealer was dry, I moved the stepping stones into the garden.

Of course the garden will change and evolve in the spring, but I think these are a great addition.

Creepy Dead Tree turned into the Giving Tree.   The tree went from creepy, to what will be a great side table; garden stepping stones, and some wood for our fire pit.

True definition of reuse and recycle.