Friends, meet land. Land, meet friends.

Invitations to our place for a meal always include, "Do you want to come early and see the land?" Dennis never tires of giving folks a tour. All we hear in return is superlatives. When Bruce and Helen Glick last night said "We really love it!" I thought they were referring to the caramel apple cider I had handed them when they came in the house door with cold toes. Turned out, the cider was fine, but they also had fallen in love with the land.



Maynard and Emily Lehman Miller drove his book business (Book Finder) 24-foot truck out from Ohio with half a load of our garden and shop items. The 16' beam came along. We now have things stored at the Hostetler Meyer farm, my mom's house and our storage unit, and of course, in this house. Some days I feel a bit like the Oz scarecrow spread all over after a tangle with the witch's minions. I wonder where my boots are? It's supposed to snow tonight.

"Ashes to ashes and dust to dust, from the land we have come and to the land we will return. Blessed be the land which we may care for but never own." Our cairn included rocks from Millers' home, our Orrville home and the property.

Placed under the double oak, of course.

You're welcome to come see the land and bring your own rocks to add a cairn.

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The view on Sunday

This morning I gathered a camp chair, my journal, too much tea (considering the lack of a port-a-pot) and my cell phone camera and headed to the property for a long sit, look and listen.

I found a house stake to sit by. I didn't realize these had been placed, since we don't yet have house plans and haven't bought the property. During this time of unsettledness, I had a sense of place.




The prairie grass (?) rippled in the breeze, like someone had sliced open a down pillow and shaken it on the plants.








This panorama extends from the southeast corner of the house to the double oak, west of the house. The view from every window will be breath taking.

 

The double oak in October

I stacked this cairn weeks ago. Something has disturbed it, a reminder that while we might live on this land, we won't tame it. And don't want to.

 I walked back along the path Dennis had chopped from Herman Street and imagined children playing hide and seek. The leaves are changing and not many flowers are blooming, but I found color close to the ground.  

Can anyone tell if this is milkweed?

  

The soil is definitely sandy.

At the north border of the property, larger trees have been cut.



Requisite sun through the trees photo

Finally I settled enough that I didn't feel the need to record the world through photos. A damselfly landed on my thigh and basked in the sun's warmth. A (garter? ribbon? black with yellow stripes) snake slithered under my chair, intent on its errand. A yellow moth danced by. Insect chirping was a constant background to the trains, breezes, birds, dogs, people talking on the Pumpkin Vine, a rooster crowing (WHAT? Inside city limits?) and a factory phone ringing.

Settling more deeply, I concentrated on the grass undulating around me. Dozens of plants, hundreds of plants, thousands of plants, not one of them demanding to be different from the next, none pouting because it wasn't a tall significant tree., just bending, swaying in the breeze, alive to their surroundings. ahhhh
 

Plants

Somewhere Dennis has notes that identify these plants. The photos were taken the day he walked with the wetland delineating scientists. 

 

 

 

One question I've barely begun to explore: Do we leave EVERYTHING native, or have some spots for gardens of plants I like? For sure, we'll have gardens to eat from, and herbs, but non-native flowers and shrubs and trees?

Friends

Sally Weaver Glick, John Glick and Rich Meyer, evening of our first supper club together



Sally and John joined by Rich Meyer

September 2013 WOW! This land is amazing! shots

Phyllis, Dennis' sister, after seeing Dennis on the property, said she hadn't seen him so happy since Joel was born.

Scientists deliniate wetlands

 

 

To be declared wetlands, scientists do three tests: type of soil, hydrology and number of wetland plants per square yard. The existing driveway is not wetland but the surrounding area is. Great news!