CLEARING.
In order to build a cabin, or really to walk onto our land, Hannah and I had to clear a great deal of honeysuckle and rosebush, saplings and briars. Most of this activity, however, took place in the fall when much of the life was dormant, hidden from sight or on vacation. Now however, as the clearing continues, we've become INTIMATELY aware of the life—of the ecosystem within which we are working. Our bodies are blistered with poison ivy. Our hands are constantly lifting our shirts and waste bands in search of ticks (all too successfully). We uncover nests and holes, scare up snakes, poke toads and flush out rabbits. And there is something both tragic and wonderful about this element of "reclaiming" the land. We have no choice but to be sensitive to the environment during our work (it bites back), and it feels a lot more gentle to go about it this way—by hand—than with the giant machinery our poor skin wishes we were using. And in the end, we feel the land will be grateful, fruitful and full of life, just the way we like it. We'll hire some fowl to control the ticks, and hopefully some small livestock —a milk goat perhaps— to help remedy our poison ivy problem. The last thing we want to do is remove the life. And by working slowly, utilizing life to create a tolerable balance, we believe we won't just preserve the life at was there, but hopefully grow it a bit.
- Jesse.
