My tent finally collapsed under a
mound of ice and snow last autumn, which greatly expedited my move into my new
dwelling. My home is far from complete,
with only thin plywood for walls, but the roof is good, I have great windows,
and now I have a much larger and better wood stove to keep me warm in the worst
of weather. It wasn’t easy getting all
this in place. Thanks so much to Nancy
and Phil and Carlos and everyone else who helped!
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| Front entrance. |
I felt so sad leaving my
tent. I miss it dearly. I miss hearing every little leaf shutter and
snap of a twig. I could hear the
squirrels yawn. Did you know you can
tell the animals apart by the sounds they make while they are drinking water (some sip, some lap...)?
In the tent I learned the
routines of my forest neighbors — the mid-afternoon calls of the owls as they
wake, their raucous cackling in the evening, and their early morning coo that
sounds like a lullaby. Daily I listened
for the armadillo who circled my tent after dark, the three raccoons — eyes lit
like luminaries roving over the ground, the deer — who don't seem to sleep, but
only nap on occasion. Even the wind has
a schedule as it maneuvers through the days.
There’s a lot we miss living in
houses — a lot of connectedness and awe.
In the tent I lost my fear of
dark. I learned that night in the woods is tender, soft.
There's eyes — lots of them, and they're only curious.
Yet there is a balance to be had,
for waking during a rain storm to a tent-turned-swimming pool heaving downward
on my chest is not something I’d like to experience again, and trying to type
in the winter with gloves on my hands and a mask on my face (propane fumes) was a challenge!
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| Getting gassed. |
In my new dwelling I feel such
exhilaration while looking out the windows, MY windows, which overlook my
garden on the sunny slope. And I’ve felt
such warmth while sitting by the fire.
As I continue this journey I’ll continually
seek a balance between inside and out-of-doors, between security that heals,
emboldens, and vulnerability that excites and opens oneself to newness and
possibility.
Speaking of moving: I am in the process of moving this blog from
blogspot to wordpress. Stay tuned for
details soon.
Blessed Be to All!
