It's hard to believe between 1860 and 1890 all the trees in the Lake Tahoe basin were logged. Land-stripping was the standard practice of the 1860s to 1880s, as new settlers helped themselves to the seemingly limitless stands of pine trees. The mature Sugar, Jeffrey, and Yellow pine trees were exactly what miners required in Virginia City to sustain their pursuit of rich silver.
This tree was amazing to experience, the trunk size and height was impressive. It stands next to the Vikingsholm Castle in Emerald Bay State Park. A short time after the logging stopped a women by the name of Mrs. Lora J. Knight from Santa Barbara found this wonderful spot. In 1928 she purchased it to build a summer home, the Vikingsholm Castle. One of her requirements was the home had to be built around the trees. She must've had a vision for the beauty of these trees to continue to be enjoyed by future visitors.
What do you have in your life that you may consider cherishing in the future? Everyday we make choices. I wonder, if you made your choices with a longer term vision in mind, would you make a different choice?
As I stood next to a beautiful summer home built by a women in her late 60s who only had 15 summers in that home, I considered 'what should I be doing different now?' What should I build, support, or cherish that I can share with others for the rest of my life and leave for future visitors to enjoy?
Considering....
Am I living my best self with a long term view?
Am I sharing with others the things I cherish?
Am I making choices which follow others, but may not be the right choice for me?
Am I really aware of how my choices may impact others?
Is there a way for me to adopt one of Lori J. Knight's traits:
'Gracious hospitality was extended at all times at Vikingsholm.'
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