The Welcome Home

Gee, it's been a long time since I've been here at Raven's Wood... and I didn't know how much I missed it until I drove in the driveway.  One of the things I discovered is that the wonderful animal preserve setting we had left had been disturbed by hunting.  A deer had been killed in the woods and hung from the deck and it's hair still litters the ground over which it hung.  

We had kept the woods pristine and untouched except to clear away a path to the lake.  We had wound the path around and through the trees in a manner that left most of the trees untouched.  We followed a natural path that seemed to appear as we walked through the woods.  It was wide enough for the riding lawnmower to pass.  In several places, where it was a tight squeeze, we were able to build up the side of a ravine with branches and clay soil to make the path wider for the tractor to pass.  All-in-all, I think there were only a couple of small, spindly trees that we had to remove--none of them larger than a broomstick.   We were always very careful to leave as little trace of us as possible behind.

I will take a package of loose tobacco, walk into the woods, sprinkle some on the ground,  and ask the land to forgive the trespass and ask the animals for their forgiveness.  It is the way some Indians honor and respect the harmony.  I think it is a wonderful way to reclaim the serenity that was disturbed, and honor the life that was taken so callously. 

We were brought back to the land because I believe it is a place of power and energy.  That feeling was validated when we were greeted by birds that chattered high in the cedars.  It was a familiar sound that was warm and welcoming.  As we unloaded the car we heard the squirrels, the bluebirds, the cardinal, the Jay, the wren, and the crows who kept watch over the woods.  We named it for them.  They are the sentinels who watch over us and warn of intrusion.  They had been our first visitors on the day we did the walk through inspection of our new home, and they were once again welcoming us back.

It will take a lot of work to bring the land back to its natural beauty.  I plan to create a garden in the backyard that encompasses the entire area, using it for not only flowers, but for edible vegetables and herbs, as well.  We will be adding a water feature near the property line on the east and closing that area off from the neighbors with a solid wooden fence which will serve as one side of our grape arbor.

Since we sold the second 4 acre piece of property on the east side of us, we do not have the luxury of the privacy that the piece of land provided, nor the gardening space.  We will have to utilize every inch we can to be able to garden on the narrow piece we now have.  That means even using the front yard for garden space. 

The first priority will be fencing.  I have to have the security of a fence to feel comfortable.  We want to plant right up to the property lines.  We will also be building bridges across ravines with walkways that will wind in and about in the woods and will be dotted with benches.  I will be planting lots of hostas  and other shade-loving plants along with hydrangeas.  We will be planting cherry bushes about in the woods for the animals to indulge their self.  We hope this will inspire them to leave the other crops alone.  We plan on sharing our good fortunes with the animals and so there will be plenty of grapes and other fruit and berry producing plants about in the woods for them.

We will be creating copses in the woods for shelter for the animals, using bushes that we will keep trimmed and shaped in unique designs.  The people who bought the other property have cut down all the cover and food crops that were near the lake.  There is becoming less and less land available for the animals to survive.  We will try and make up for that by planting the things they need.

I have a dream to build a frog and toad village.  It will look like a fairy village nestled among the trees. That is going to be one of the most delightful projects I have in mind. 

When we cut down the dead oak, (one of the twin oaks that made up the focal point of our back yard), we will not cut it down completely.  We will leave quite a few of the lower branches from about a height of 15 to 20 feet.  Then, we will get someone who sprays gunnite to come in and spray the tree where it stands, covering the branches and the trunk with the gunnite mixture.  We will secure it with rebar for strength within the structure so that when the wood rots out from within, the shape of the tree will be left standing.  I plan on hanging bird houses and feeders off the branches, making it a bird village and keeping the twin focal point alive and well.   I don't think I can bare to cut it down completely and not have it there.  There is a balance there that would be disturbed. 

Well, enough chatter about our homecoming and our plans for reclaiming the land.   Thank you for allowing me to share this adventure with you.  I hope you find it valuable and interesting.

Chris

Home

You can find any book, video, or CD, even toys & gifts that you need by typing your key word in the text box and clicking on our GO button.

If you have comments or questions, or if you would like to find out more, then

email us at Dragonfly Hill Mail Room

©Dragonfly Hill 1998 / 2005-06

All Rights Reserved