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Gloria DeGroat's avatar

Loved reading your descriptive writing on Lake Superior!! The way you describe your travels through MI brings back memories from our trip! The way u wrote about the Tamarack Trees built up anger and then relief as you became more knowledgeable about their history! Great writing!

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Annette Marquis's avatar

Thank you, Gloria. Learning about the tamaracks was quite a lesson in a lot of things: assumptions, knowing, and the value of research! And, yes, it was so beautiful!

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Lisa Presley's avatar

I feel that I’ve come home when I enter the San Francisco Bay Area. Even though not indigenous, I feel like I’ve come home when I breathe in deeply the eucalyptus. When I see the mighty pines, and feel the fog’s mists on my face. And like when my heart slows as I walk into a room of impressionist paintings. I come back to being centered in myself again. Thanks for your story that reminded me of mine.

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Annette Marquis's avatar

It’s good to be reminded of what centers us. I’m glad my writing did that for you.

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Barbara Dean's avatar

Well written, Annette! Really enjoyed reading this!

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Annette Marquis's avatar

Thanks, Barbara! That means a lot.

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Emmy Lou Belcher's avatar

I spent large parts of my life in forests too. And I so appreciate your essay. I especially like the idea that by naming rings, we become more aware of our relationship to them. Also your discovery about the tamaracks. When I moved to Traverse City, I had the same experience until one of the congregants native to the area informed me otherwise. Then I began to appreciate their beauty and their oddity. Thanks, Annette.

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Annette Marquis's avatar

I guess I should have learned about tamaracks when I lived in Traverse City, but I somehow missed the whole thing!

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