THE GREAT HOLE

Mrs. Trowbridge mentioned the great hole several times in her writings; the reason being that the husband of one of her dear friends was severely injured in a fall during an exploration of the hole. A rescue was attempted, but he expired.

Through the course of my numerous treks into Wild Rose Creek, I was never able to find the fabled hole that she wrote about. To my knowledge Mrs. T never entered the hole, so she must have created this painting from descriptions combined with her brilliant imagination.

MORNINGS BY THE STREAM

The Trowbridge shrews of Mrs. Trowbridge's day were indeed brave little souls. They faced constant threats from all around and above. At any given moment their nest could be trampled by a herd of Roosevelt elk, or thrashed to shreds by a hungry raccoon. Of course, a shrew was always at risk for being snatched away on the way to market by a hungry hawk.

Mrs. T faced life's challenges and uncertainties by spending time early in the mornings beside the nearby creek. It was here that she would meditate, write and paint. You may have to look carefully to see her perched in front of her easel on top of the boulder beside the stream.

HOW TROWBRIDGE SHREWS PROPAGATE

Some have asked about the Trowbridge shrew's mating habits. They propagate year round with a short pause during the winter. The pregnancy period is relatively short - about three weeks - and there are five to ten animals in each litter.

Many shrews are lost to birds of prey and accidents, especially the young ones who may venture too close to the rushing waters of a mountain stream. Wild Rose Creek cascades through the village of Huckleberry Hollow, which flows into the North Fork Quinault River. This, in turn, empties into Lake Quinault. This is where the mishap occurred in our story.

SUNLIT FOREST

Banana slugs are commonly found in the Quinault Rain Forest. They are usually bright yellow, like Scooter, although they may also be green, brown or even white. The Pacific banana slug (Ariolimax columbianus) found in the Quinault Rain Forest, is the second largest slug in the world, attaining a length of almost ten inches.

Mrs. Trowbridge wrote many stories for her children and grandchildren. She was careful, never clumsy in her choice of words for her stories, and she taught her offspring the craft of writing as well. Sometimes she would create a first page of the story, as seen above, then allow her children to write their own finish for the story. It was a wonderful way of passing the gift of creativity down to her offspring. How would you finish the story?

EPISODE 100

What better way to introduce Episode 100 of the Trowbridge Chronicles than to offer one of my favorite of Mrs. Trowbridge's holiday paintings. The Trowbridge shrews of long ago didn't celebrate Christmas as we do, but they celebrated an annual winter festival that was similar in many respects to our Christmas celebration. Mrs. T painted her neighbor's cottage (above) decorated for the festive occasion during a winter snow.

The early shrews picked a variety of berries during the summer, then stored them away in their food cellar for winter provisions. The red huckleberries and white snow berries were also used for holiday decorating, as you can see in Mrs. T's painting. They would then hang the berries on tiny twig trees planted in front of their cottages. They ignited alder twig torches fueled by fir pitch, and decorated wooden barrels filled with mountain heather and berries. Their decorations were much simpler than ours.

Mrs. Trowbridge would most certainly have come undone if she could see the way we celebrate Christmas, with all the hustle-bustle and commercialism. I hope you are able to take time this season to remember the real reason for Christmas...to honor the Savior who came to us as a babe in a manger to bring Light into a dark world. Merry Christmas to all!