Uphill
Rocks
Tipsy is making a little pilgrimage, clambering up the rocks…
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Grass
…and through the grassy meadow…
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Tree
…to the Arbutus grove at the top of the hill.
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Trunk
Arbutus trees grow in exposed places, rooting in tiny cracks, twisting and turning as they grow, and ending up as a very hard wood with twisted grain…
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Persistence
…which is capable of moulding itself to whatever the environment offers…
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peel
It is an unusual tree – keeping its green leaves all year, and shedding its thin outer bark annually, leaving exposed the inner bark which is capable of photosynthesis.
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Limb
Tipsy is carved from an arbutus limb like this one, which blew off in a storm several years ago on Saltspring Island!
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Pride
Tipsy is proud to come from a resilient and hardy tree like this!
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Love
Thank you tree!!!
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Quimper Hittys 
Wow…what a heritage Tipsy has. Thank you for exposing us to her roots.
You are welcome – the Arbutus is a beautiful and distinctive tree in our part of the world…it has been a goal of mine to carve an Arbutus Hitty!
Don’t quite understand why…but this story has me is tears…it’s just so touching,sweet and special.
The beauty of nature and the lifeforms who appreciate it are inspiring I suppose. The habitat that surrounds you is like going into a cathedral…a transcending experience. I adore all Hitty’s but there are a few that just pull at my heartstrings like no others….Tipsy is one of them
We do live in a beautiful and precious part of the world – I am glad that you love Tipsy as much as I do – I love that she was able to greet her tree-relative and offer it thanks!
You have such a gift for words and photos that can turn a solitary adventure into a meaningful experience that we can all share in and be inspired by. Thank you!
Thank you too – Tipsy and I are glad you could walk with us, and enjoy the beautiful Arbutus grove. It was good to have your company!
Tipsy is such a thoughtful sprite. Seeing her with the tree that is her heritage was quite lovely. And I learned a lot about this specific tree. Thank you for another great start to my day.
It is an interesting tree, isn’t it? It has such such unique characteristics – we hope Tipsy will be as resilient and unique as her natal tree!
I was so interested in this tree I looked it up….do you ever eat the berries? It was referred to as the Strawberry tree…
we do not have them here.
I think some first nations made use of the berries, but not locally. Various uses were made of the bark – for coloration and for medicinal purposes though.
I sent the link to this post to my friend. (We both live on Salt Spring Island: his property has beautiful arbutus trees whose blown-down limbs he has formed into members and handrails for the staircase in his home).
He wrote this comment back to me:
“What a lovely endeavour! So much inventive use of place, materials, fact and imagination. Even the very perceptive posing of Tipsy, using small adjustments in angle of posture and arms to create the perception of intent.
She is, every inch, an arbutus girl.”
(I sent him the link because he is currently deeply absorbed on exploring his own heritage, discovering ancestors in his own Family Tree.)
Thank you so much for forwarding both your and your neighbour’s thoughtful comments. Tipsy and I are both quite honoured by your kind remarks…and feel glad that Tipsy has the approval of her island friends!
that’s interesting. Thank you
I have learned a lot about wood since beginning to make things out of it!
I wish that I had known your clever tips for carving arbutus wood when I was carving arbutus dolls- my word- it was like carving cast iron! Your use of alcohol soaks have obviously given Tipsy a great deal of ‘Spirit’ 😀
Haha yes, Tipsy is a very adventurous and spirited Hitty, we are so glad that she appeared in the cupboard, she is going to be fun!