Ever wonder why people say “touch wood,” or knock on wood for good luck?

When travelling in Australia last year, I came upon the “wishing tree” in Sydney’s Royal Botanic Gardens.  According to the legend, in earlier times people believed certain trees contained spirits and that you could make a wish by touching them or walking around them three times forward then three times backward. That’s where the expression “touch wood” originated and the belief that some trees have magical powers.

The Wishing Tree in Sydney

Who knew?

I’m not sure if knocking on wood will grant my wishes, but I do appreciate the magic of trees to provide beauty, good energy, clean air and a sense of grounding to our concrete urban environments.

I am surrounded by trees – touch wood – and this week I’ve really been noticing them.

That’s because the big old ash trees that usually stand firm on my riverbank have been lingering in a few feet of floodwater for weeks, and I’m wondering if they’ll survive, yet they always do.

Elsewhere tiny buds are starting to form on naked branches and, at last, my neighborhood will soon transform to a leafy green haven.

There are all kinds of nature lovers, and flora and fauna to fit every personality, but give me the scent of pine, a fine fir, or a towering elm to wrap my arms around.

Yup, I’m a tree hugger, a fan of the forest and wild about the woods.  Time among the trees, like anywhere in nature, gives me energy and makes me feel good.

I live in an older part of Winnipeg where trees and natural bushes have been wisely maintained even as housing developments have expanded, and the tree-lined streets are a sharp contrast to many of the stark new suburbs.

Trees are good for our landscapes and good for our souls. They are symbols of what a small seed and deep roots can bring to fruition, with time, patience and a little nurturing. From tiny acorns great oaks grow; from a seed of an idea big things happen.

Trees remind us that great accomplishments often begin with a few thoughts and deliberate actions; they may take months or years to mature, but once firmly rooted they can withstand many storms and every season.

And that is the real magic and wisdom of the woods.

This week we’re finally hit double-digit temperatures (15C, 13C) here in Winnipeg, with longer days and the sun sitting high in the sky, all of which are sure signs of spring.

While others look for red-breasted robins, Canadian geese returning home, or tiny prairie plants sprouting through the soil to signal the arrival of the season, I have a new harbinger for this time of year… rising river levels, regular flood reports and about a thousand sandbags delivered to my door.

If the sandbags have arrived… so has spring on the Red River.

This is the third year I’ve had to build a dike in my low-lying backyard, and the usual group of friends, family, and volunteers who arrive to help out are beginning to get a little tired of the biannual invitation. One of my friends suggested that if I want to have 30 people over, I should just have a barbeque.

That said, with a flood of goodwill (as I wrote about here last week) we had the 50-foot long wall of sandbags in place and water-tight within about two hours. And when it was all said and done, all that was left was the ‘after party.’

Aside from our swelling rivers, there are other sure signs of spring for Winnipeggers, including getting out and about in some of the city’s liveliest neighbourhoods.

For me, there’s a certain joie de vivre in strolling through Winnipeg’s “Quartier Français” of St. Boniface, and stopping in at one of the many cafes, bistros or boutiques or taking in the downtown skyline from the Esplanade Riel bridge.
Read more about my favourite “french connections” at http://www.travelmanitoba.com/media.

In the meantime, with the sandbags in place, and my first promenade along Provencher Boulevard complete, it’s time to get back to my desk and enjoy the signs of spring from my office window.

What’s a sure sign of spring for you?

Enjoy the new season.

This week I made the “Top 100 list”… of river properties in Winnipeg at the highest risk for flooding. It’s a rather dubious honour, but one that does get people to rally around in support and community spirit.

Flooded backyard pre-sandbags

There’s nothing like a natural disaster to bring people together.

The City of Winnipeg has been organized and thorough in its flood preparations and information services, especially to homeowners at risk. In my case, the city surveyors have been by, the stakes are in the ground to mark the height and location of the dike required, and 2000 sandbags will be delivered on Saturday.

In addition to the City of Winnipeg’s staff, I have a team of “flood experts,” friends and volunteers who have offered to lend their time and muscles in throwing, piling and placing the sandbags needed to build the long wall of flood protection in my backyard.

And some of them are actually looking forward to it!

Our “river city” of Winnipeg has experienced a few major spring floods in the last five years, and in 1997 we survived the “flood of the century” as the Red River rose and peaked at 24.5 feet (normal summer level is 6.5 feet). In the ’97 flood, according to the City of Winnipeg’s stats, about 8 million (!) sandbags were delivered in the city.

Each time, I’ve marveled at the power of a community, united to face a common challenge – coworkers, friends, volunteers and complete strangers – doing what they can to help one another. It’s like the rising river offers an opportunity for random acts of kindness, unbelievable goodwill, and maybe a chance to be a “local hero.”

Without diminishing the cost, inconvenience and property damage this massive influx of water can cause, I prefer to witness, and appreciate, the flood of goodwill that goes with it.

To all the local heroes out there, thank you!

And bring on the sandbags.