Lori always finds the most unique gifts. She found this tree ring art company that works with the U S reforestation service. When a tree is planted in a national forest it is tagged with the date And the exact location is mapped. When it is cut down, that is entered in the forest records. Lori contacted the tree ring art company in February to see if they had tree ring art for Jerry’s birth year 1940, they did not. The Forest Service was going to cut trees in March and their records showed a Ponderosa Pine for that year was in the group to be culled out of the forest. The art company photographs the tree rings when it is cut down, they then offer the photographed image on canvas, on t-shirts and they make lovely writing pens from the wood. So they cut the tree down in March, the artists photographed it then everything stopped due to Covid. The canvas company closed, the ink company closed, the tree art artists couldn’t work because their suppliers had closed. Months went by, Jerry’s 80th birthday on April 28 went by, May went by, June too. Then Lori got a call July 5th, they were printing her 1940 Ponderosa Pine tree rings photo on the canvas, it would ship the next day. Then UPS sent it to the wrong city in Texas (I suspect it had the wrong zip code on it). It finally arrived on the 15th and she put together the impromptu birthday celebration I shared yesterday. The tree was cut from the LoLo National Forest in Montana, where Jerry grew up, the tree ring art company is in Missoula, Montana, Jerry’s home town. So many coincidences and crazy problems and solutions, to get the art into Jerry’s hands! So fun and so special.
Oh what a great gift and such an interesting story to go with it too. I am sure Jerry will enjoy telling the story to all his friends and family. A lovely reminder of his 80th birthday, so special.
i'm trying to count the ring and i kept failing. need to have it up closer. i am obsessed! it is a rather unique gift and all that fun and drama before it got to the birthday boy. i like it. aces!
