Our Slice of God's Creation

THE MAIN PARCEL

I'm guessing we have about 1/2 an acre.  Our parcel is pie shaped, being wide at the road front and angling back to a point.  It used to be the corner of a farm field, but in 1950, that corner was cut and the cottage was built.  Along the front and western side of the property is the remains of the farm's stone wall.  Hubby has been repairing the walls to the front.  He made them wide so they are filled with soil and planted.  We have a peach tree in one as well as creeping blackberries, hostas and other perennials.  The other (across the driveway) has wild grapes and climbing roses.  The third (on the other side of the trees) is full of poison ivy right now, but I'll be donning a hazmat suit and ripping that out to make room for Rugosa rose bushes.

To the west of us is a patch of woods that is basically just a right of way for the farm next door and for the rest home down the road.  We don't do too much in it since it isn't ours to mess with, but we do have the liberty to forage a bit from it and enjoy hikes.  I plan on putting in some trees, bushes and other such things that'll give food and benefit the wildlife.  I would be ecstatic if we could purchase the property or at least have permission to utilize it to the fullest.

To the east of us is a rotating crop farm field and a great place to glean clover and dandelions and other such goodies from the hedgerow.  The farmer doesn't mind so long as we don't trample his crop.

Right behind us is the hedgerow where the woods and the farm field meet.  That hedgerow is full of wonders to enjoy and glean, including rocks for landscaping, wood violets to eat or make jelly out of, hickory trees, bittersweet vines, berries, and even a wild pear tree.

We enjoy deer, wild turkey, a squirrels in abundance.  There's the elusive grouse from time to time and rabbits.  All those we can fill our freezer with during their proper hunting seasons.  There are foxes, raccoon, coyotes, skunks, chipmunks, woodchucks, hawks, eagles, mice, moles, rats, voles, fishers and other such wildlife.

Our property has a large garden parcel as well was a 4 square herb garden with a garlic plot.  Hubby is going to build me some raised beds, too.  At our back point, we plan on putting the barn and pens for the pig, rabbits and chickens.  Hopefully next year we'll have another barn on the property for dairy goats.