Pam Stevenson holds a sign that used to hang on the willow tree in her backyard as she talks about the tree's meaning to her during a weekly concert get-together in her backyard in Bend on Thursday. The tree recently uprooted and fell into the Deschutes River, which borders Stevenson's home. Stevenson discussed how she buried her dog under it and named the tree "Popcorn's Willow" in the dog's memory. As night came on, Stevenson read a poem about the willow she had written. Stevenson also had clipped branches from the tree (foreground) that she distributed to guests, encouraging them to plant more willows.
Joe Kline / The Bulletin
Friends and neighbors of Pam Stevenson gathered Thursday night in the backyard of her home on Northwest Riverfront Street to pay tribute to the large willow tree that fell into the Deschutes River earlier in the week. The tree, nearly three stories tall even on its side, is blocking about one-third of the river channel.
Thursday night, Stevenson distributed clippings from the tree to her guests, asking that they plant them at their own homes.
The tree straddled the property line between Stevenson's home and her neighbors', and they are making arrangements to have it removed from the water.
