A Moving Experience

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!

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!

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!