You Never Can Tell - Learning to Love a Forest

Not so long ago, my wife and I bought about 18 acres of land not to far from here. How that happened is another story, we weren't in the market, it just kind of fell into our laps. It is beautiful forest land, trout streams, a meadow, and lots of wildlife. It really is a tiny piece of paradise. Like most good and wonderful things in my life, however, I seem to be trying hard to find a way to overthink it.

It could just be a beautiful place to visit, but I already find myself worrying about it, making a burden of it. We'll need to fight the buckthorn and the noxious invasive parsnips. I'll need to get my chainsaw in better running order. Wait a minute - chainsaw? Yes. The bookwormy guy who spent his entire youth avoiding anything that smelled like work now owns a chainsaw (and can operate it well enough to be a danger to himself and others). How the hell am I qualified to own and care for a freakin' forest? (I'll give you a hint - I AM NOT.)

 I guess that is what life is about, but it is hard for me to accept. It is not about how you deal with what you were expecting, it is how you handle what you weren't ready for. My wife has tried to teach me this over and over again - both in words and actions. She is not afraid to learn by doing, whatever it is; building a chicken coop, creating stone steps, digging a fish pond, you name it. Don't get me wrong, she does her research, but once she has figured out a plan, she jumps in and just does it. I, on the other hand, am afraid to move, lest I make a mistake. Is the coop insulated enough? (We'll add more insulation if we need it.) What if the steps are wobbly? (Shim them.) How deep should be make the pond? And what shape? (Shut up and dig.)

 I guess I've always been in the "if you don't try you can't fail" school. My wife is of the "if you don't fail you'll never learn" type. And I love her for it. Even though (okay, especially because) it means she inspires, encourages, and fine, sometime just plain MAKES me do things way outside my comfort zone.

 So now I own a forest. It is a small one, fine, but to me it is a forest, and suddenly I am responsible for it. This blog will be about me, a prairie farm kid, who turned into a city-slicker in a suit, who now owns some woodland, a small meadow, and some streams. This blog will be about trying to learn this land and its creatures, and trying to create a place for myself and my family in it. A place to rest and find peace. A place for my daughters to track animals and explore with imaginations running wild. A place for my wife and I to fish and stroll and hunt for mushrooms. A place for my bees to hopefully thrive. Mostly though, a place which was before me and will go on after me; a place which will be whispering in my ear for the rest of my time on this planet. This blog will be about me setting aside my worries and fears and  (hopefully) learning to listen.