Crannich: Place of Trees
The world is full of nice, ordinary little people who live in nice, ordinary little houses on the ground.
But didn't you ever dream of a house up on a tree top?*
I did!
One Sunday night when I was seven or eight, The Wonderful World of Disney aired “Swiss Family Robinson” — a visual masterpiece — starring Dorothy McGuire and Sir John Mills (Hayley and Juliet’s dad). I’m pretty sure any kiddos who watched that night dreamt (often) of living in a home, perched precariously on tree branches, that was as exotic and fun and as perfect for childhood fantasy and adventure as this one:
During filming of the Disney movie "Swiss Family Robinson" on the island of Tobago.
Welcome to Mill Creek!
Crannich is a Scots Gaelic word meaning “Place of Trees” and, as you can see, we live in a crannich here at Mill Creek:
The back wall on the main floor of each of townhome is glass (three huge French Doors) and this “wall” and the woods beyond are the first things one sees upon entering any of the residences. Visitors are forever gobsmacked by the proximity and magnitude of the woods which are, largely, hidden from view along our laneway.
There are no rope ladders, no suspended ramps, our rooves are shingled, not thatched, but sitting on our balconies, being able reach out and nearly touch the branches, is most definitely akin to the Robinsons' home in that huge Monkey Pod Tree (Samanea saman). Somewhere in heaven, Dad’s having a good chuckle right now!
This afternoon I am comfortably ensconced on our pretty wee balcony and, though I am meant to be writing an essay about Divine Intervention in Virgil’s Aeneid for Arts and Letters, I’m daydreaming. Wildly. It is raining here in Kingsville - a very soft, gentle, quiet rain - a rain that I just love. I love the sound of the raindrops touching down on the leaves, I love the smell of the trees and the earth when they’re dampened by rainwater, I’m lulled into a state of complete relaxation. Daydreaming. I’m imagining I’m in the Robinson’s tree house whilst the rain is falling. I can picture it clearly. Imagination has never been my problem.
Today is for daydreaming. For watching and listening and smelling and enjoying the rain. Struggling (mightily!) with Virgil can wait for another day.
’Til next time, y’all…
*Johann David Wyss (novel), Lowell S. Hawley (screenplay), from the movie “Swiss Family Robinson”.
