Well, todays the Big Game.  A million wives, and probably even a few husbands, will be “widowed” for the afternoon by the Super Bowl. In the Northwest the statistics might even get worse with the Seahawks vying for their first Super Bowl win.

Michael never has to worry about me abandoning him for a sporting event, but willow, that’s another story. A few years ago I took the car and left him behind for a 400 mile trip to Christina Lake, British Columbia and Bluestem Nursery which grows and sells grasses, and willows. Michael’s not that interested in willows so I didn’t feel bad and he didn’t either, I guess. This weekend I took the car again to head up to Marysville, Washington, a quick one-hour jaunt north of here, to visit a different sort of willowy place, The Fishsticks Basketry School, and Bouquet Banque Nursery.

I met with willow growers and master basket makers Judy Zuglish and Bill Roeder. I got a first hand look into the world of willow basket making, from the ground up. They grow, harvest, cure and process in anyway necessary willow osiers for making their art. And art it is. Basket weaving has been cheapened by the importation of quickly made baskets from other parts of the world. But these two keep basketry alive and vital in their teaching as well as their baskets of fine rare beauty.

I love willows, as you know; no questions asked, no explanations necessary. So seeing its usefulness, an ancient usefulness I might add, engaged in the modern world made me happy. What better time to celebrate the willow then yesterday the Feast of St. Brigit, or Imbolc, devoted to the Celtic Goddess Brigid, both goddess and saint were patrons of artisans and craftsmen. And the willow is the tree associated with them and the beginning of spring, said to start on the first day of February.

So I celebrate the willow and the coming of spring with a few photos from my visit to that willowy place in Marysville, yesterday.

The ancient and continued winter harvest of willow.

Wonderful colors of willow twigs.

Rolls of willow bark in the studio at Fishsticks Basketry School.

The beginnings of an intricate willow basket by Bill Roeder. One of his skeined willow baskets was recently bought by the Smithsonian Institute.

The beautifully rustic interior of Judy Zuglish’s willow bark baskets feel like some place to nest , to feel at home, humble and exquisite.