So I got kind of busy there for a while what with the move and all but that battle with materialism is for another post. Today I want to talk about yesterday. Yesterday I went to the Tweed property and took down the temporary garage that has been shielding Beatrice from the elements the past couple of years and was generously donated by friends. I packed it up so Beatrice can take it to New Brunswick in her bucket and in New Brunswick it can once again be her shield.
It was a sad drive leaving the property. This time it really felt final, I have no more excuses to return. But the finality is not the source of my sadness. Over the past couple of years I had done some work on the property, not much but what I could without having deeded ownership and yesterday I could really see that the process of all my efforts coming undone are underway. The property is not posted for sale and the forces of nature are reclaiming their dominion. In the grand scheme of things I know that is not so bad - the world can use all the natural habitat it can get. But right now my sheds are still standing, the cleared areas are still mostly grass and the bunkie is beautiful. The grass is full of baby bushes and trees and the rain cover has blown off the first shed. Without maintenance it will not survive the winter.
It made me even more sympathetic to the people we purchased our New Brunswick farm from. Many people might think they were crazy for wanting to sell it to people who would continue to hobby farm the property rather than take more money from the clear cutters who wanted the wood. I saw their point from the start but after yesterday I think I really understand both their sadness in selling it and their relief that it was bought by people like us. My sense of stewardship of the land has increased.
I can only imagine the sadness of old farmers watching their children sell off generations of toil and care and love to the "developers". Or worse yet - having to do so themselves.
