Philosophy Road

Oct 9, 2009

It's been a while.

The yurt, getting dressed in her new spot.

Silly canoe campers, giddy with fresh air and beauty all around.

Us. Happy.

Jul 10, 2009

some springtime views

Partridgeberry

Digging for the mailbox.

We are blessed with many wild srawberries.

Final adjustments.

Ruby approves.

Maples and serviceberry.

on the Hill

A few cold weather snapshots of the homestead-to-be.

View down the hill toward Speedsville.

One of several seasonal springs.

The cleared yurt-spot with a stack of firewood from the largest ash tree we cut down.

Us.

Did I say 40?

See post below for another view.

Maybe I underestimated the weight.

Shindagin Hollow

Give a squirrel something to climb, and this is what he'll do.

final tracks

I love tracking. Some say an animal's skull is the last track it leaves behind. Maybe that is why I love skulls so much.

This is a skunk skull we found on the banks of the Conestoga river in PA. It was an old guy - teeth worn down, and evidence of severe infection above the canines. This one lived long, but its last years may have been difficult.

This skull I cleaned up from a roadkill beaver we found in Freeville, NY. It was a huge animal - probably over 40 pounds of rodent power.

The photos don't do it justice. This guy was huge.

May 2, 2009

Lucky 77

In the flow of natural cycles, I remind myself that Spring is naturally the busiest time of crazy growth and endless motion. I wake early, and retire late, moving in between from project to project, all the while feeling my way toward whatever step should come next. Sometimes it feels like I am moving blindfolded along a trail, with the occasional tangle in brambles to indicate I've veered too far in one direction.

But, each step moves toward growth and dreams come true.

So, here, something nearly concrete: We are landowners. Which is only real in a certain form of reality.
What feels more real, is that now we have been given permission to steward and care for a little bit of earth, and to make our home there.

A brief description: We bought 11 acres in the town of Caroline, which is about 20 minutes from downtown Ithaca. The land is all wooded: near the road, it's a lot of old apple trees, hawthorn, and multiflora rose. That area is also pretty wet, and more recently disturbed, possibly old pasture. Farther back, the land slopes upward, and it's mostly sugar maples and ash trees, with a few serviceberries, black cherry, beech, and one big red oak. I'm sure there's more to discover, but that's initially what we've found.

Oh, and one of the best parts: the neighbors. Our dear friends Paul, Kathy, Ruby and their chickens live next door. We're excited to collaborate with them on projects and adventures. I can't wait to become a part of the community there.

We've cleared a spot for the yurt, and hope to move it there in the next month or so. I tried uploading pictures, but for some mysterious reason, the library computer won't let me. So you'll just have to come for a visit.

Mar 20, 2009

headed toward closing

Happy first day of spring!

Just a dose of quick news:

I've been through my first full week as an official Field Instructor for Primitive Pursuits. I love it, although I've been spending more time in the forests than in the fields. And probably more time playing than instructing, as well. Go fig.

Through many roller-coaster ups and downs (and not to say we're clear of those), we're headed on Wednesday to sign many papers to officially purchase and close on 11 acres of wooded land in the town of Caroline!

Stay tuned for further tales.