No. 1 Old Oak Tree Path

Welcome to No. 1 Old Oak Tree Path. The woodland garden is home to an elf, sometimes many elves. The elf’s name is Dobby. Fans of Harry Potter may recognize the name of the character from J. K.Rowling’s novels, where he was a house elf.

A few years ago, my lovely goddaughter, Amy, and her sister, Lauren, decided I was culturally deprived, because I had not read the Harry Potter books. They presented me with all the books as a Christmas present. Andrew had read them and was excited I would be reading them. He told me the book he really wanted to read was War and Peace by Tolstoy. War and Peace is my favorite book, and I have read it many times. I told Andrew we could read it together and discuss it. Harry Potter was interesting, but it didn’t hold my attention in the same way as War and Peace. Ultimately, I rationed War and Peace. I made a bargain with myself that if I forced myself to read a certain number of pages of Harry Potter, then I could reward myself with reading what I really wanted to read – War and Peace. Andrew gave up reading it. I rationed it for a while, but then couldn’t put it down. I eventually finished reading all of Harry Potter. When I finished, I was thankful I would not need to read about another Quidditch match!

Two years ago, the large oak tree in the woodland garden fell during a rainstorm. It was the biggest tree in the woodland garden, but the trunk was hollow. This caused the tree to weaken and fall over. When the crew came and carted away all the branches and debris from the tree, they left the stump. Last year, Andrew and I cut the top of the stump with the intention of building something around it. We had numerous ideas but settled on a house for Dobby – his vacation residence when he was not serving as a house elf.

Recycling and reusing materials is fun to me. Dobby’s house would be constructed of odd bits of wood and materials I had laying around from prior projects. Sometimes I find it hard to throw things away and have odd bits stashed away in the garage.

Maya Angelou delivered her famous poem, A Rock, A River, A Tree at Bill Clinton’s inauguration. It has always resonated with me. The relationship of things and how we must care for our environment. Using materials most people would throw away leads me to my adaptation of her poem as it applies to Dobby’s house. A Rocking Chair, A Stream, A Tree. Yes, you read this correctly – a rocking chair.

When I bought the house there was an old shed. It must have been nice when it was first built, but by the time I bought the house, the roof had holes that let water inside. There was an old stuffed rocky chair, that was moldy and no good. Before I arranged for someone to take the old shed, I took the rocky chair apart to fit into my trash bins. However, I thought the runners of the rocky chair could be useable for something – what I could never decide. Building the Dobby house, I found the perfect use. Decorative supports for the roof. There is a stream in the woodland garden, and then there was the oak tree. They all come together in a somewhat-poetic way.

Having finalized the idea for Dobby’s house, it occurred to me that he needed a mailbox. One of the first things I had fixed in my house was the removal of the old fuse box. This was replaced by a modern breaker box. The electrician was going to throw the old door of the fuse box away, but I took it out of the trash. I knew I would need it in the future. Now Dobby has a mailbox, and I can look forward to stashing little things in for the neighbor boys, Johnny and Lincoln, who like to visit the woodland garden.

The Dobby house is a true folly. It serves no real purpose. It is silly and by design isn’t straight or well designed, but it does accentuate the old tree. Some things do not need a purpose or a deeper meaning. They can be playful and imaginative just for fun. The next time you are in the neighborhood, take a stroll down the woodland path and find No. 1 Old Oak Tree Path. Maybe Dobby will be there and give you a tour!