Trees

TREES

View out my kitchen window

When one glances at photos of our former property and proceeds to compare them to our current new property, frankly, there is just NO comparison at all!

Our concentrated area for bird, butterfly and insect attraction and feeding was but a blip when viewing the general back property size surrounding it. And yet, it took a landscaping company in assisting us initially to produce this bit of envisioned visual garden haven. Our feeders were always full with abundant nutrition for our feathery friends, and binoculars and bird identification books lay about to grab and observe life residing in that particular area. From birds, butterflies and squirrels, we fed them and they never failed to visit daily. The enormous pleasure experienced was second to none, a treat for the eyes.

In our new home the landscape is a total contrast to our former one. Three acres of grass covered our former home (lawn mowing commitment extraordinaire!) with barely a mature tree on the property except around the outskirts. Oh sure, plenty were planted, but the growth period would continue to see the "fruits" of their beauty over many years. Our home now is a similar size (3 acres) of mostly trees, and more trees! We have maple, oak, elm and various others indigenous to the area. In fact, my father suggested we attempt to tap into a few of the maple trees in a few months to see if we would strike pure maple syrup gold running from them. And wow, we love that pure syrup, so think of the money we'd save producing our own here on the property ourselves. Hmmmm....food for thought.

Our property holds so many possibilities for us once the warmer months come to visit. The boys have staked out very back of the property and have already staked their claim for trees to build forts in. My husband has an idea for a new deck to step down to off the main eating area in the kitchen, a delayed project with the winter weather. An existing very small deck was already in place for the sole purpose of passing final inspection on the house; however it will be moved to another exit door off the master bedroom which currently has no decking outside of its doorway, rather disabled door opening abilities until such time as a new deck rests off its doorway for stepping out. A three foot fall makes it quite impossible to appreciate this area at present, but it's a good feeling to know the small deck off the kitchen eventually requiring a move will not be compromised or worse yet – wasted in the end.

If there's anything we did right when choosing this new home, it has to be the jackpot of having the master bedroom on the main floor! Since having a lung disease wreaks havoc on the sufferer when having to climb a set of stairs, my hubby is no longer required to hike up a set at nightfall and experience scary recovery times along the way or at the top. Now, he can walk from the bedroom to his office, or gather with family nearby in the kitchen or other main rooms. An exit doorway out of the master bedroom to the back of the house also offers him the ability to get outdoors and relax on the deck which will soon reside there.

Back to our property...

I can hardly wait to find (!) all of the bird feeders again (note – knee deep boxes in the garage contain all these goodies) and get to work making a haven for new feathery friends again. I'll even have mature trees to hang various feed vessels onto, and ohhhhh, I can even picture a hammock or two gently swaying in the summer breeze underneath a shady tree, something we never had at our former home either, shade that is.

First though, my hubby wants to thin out some of the existing trees to carve a backyard rambling grassy area at the center of the property for about ½ an acre or so nearest to the house.

Next we will tackle all the underbrush in full view but leave the remaining back acre as natural as possible. We will hire a bobcat machine operator and have him carve out some meandering trails for bike riding, pulling wagons of supplies to new fort building areas, general nature walks around the property, and for winter next year – cross country or snowshoe trails.

The entire back property will be fenced this time which will not only allow for safety for the children not necessarily in full view out there in the back bushy area, but also at long last our two dogs will be allowed to wonder freely about the property, something we've yearned to do for a long, long time. It will also keep out the visiting red fox, skunks, and other assorted small creatures our husky might be tempted to enjoy for dinner. We understand there are deer in the general area, which we would love to have visit us our front to enjoy anytime. The dogs would just not understand having them suddenly appear to play with them out back. (wink)

Sunsets visit at the back of our property

TREES

I think that I shall never see

A poem lovely as a tree.

A tree whose hungry mouth is pressed

Against the earth's sweet-flowing breast;

A tree that may in summer wear

A next of robins in her hair;

Upon whose bosom snow has lain;

Who intimately lives with rain.

Poems are made by fools like me,

But only God can make a tree!

~Joyce Kimer