The treehouse

The redwood forest in which we live was logged in the late 1800s or early 1900s, and our property features several enormous stumps from old-growth trees felled during that time.

For reasons that have never been clear to me, the loggers cut the trees as high as 15 feet above the ground. But what the loggers lost in lumber, the kids of the neighborhood have gained in play places: Many of the stumps have burned interiors, forming ready-made play houses.

The flat tops of the stumps are perfect treehouse foundations. At our house, somebody had already nailed a few boards to the top of the biggest stump, which was at the center of a line of three stumps. Even before we bought our house, I wanted to build a treehouse there.

I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.