Catching Up

The last of my classes ended over the weekend.  I should have had more time to write my next installment, which was to be about planning the house, but time weaves its own path.  Instead, this entry will offer photos of some of the interesting plants I found during a recent trip to the property.

The Building Lot

Many interesting plants are found on our new property.  These are found on the portion of land on which we will be building.  

Purple Trillium (Trillium erectum)
This gorgeous flower has three large leaves etched with an amazing webbing.  The flower is reddish and is said to have a horrible stench.  The plant, a relative to the lily, grows in rich soil.

Wild Ginger (Asarum canadense)
This is not the same root found in many Asian dishes; however, bruising the leaves release a similar scent.  I was stunned when I first saw this carpeting areas of our land.  It makes a beautiful ground cover.  

Wild Ginger (Asarum canadense)
This is the flower found beneath the leaves of the Wild Ginger.  It may not be the most beautiful flower, but I like it.  This grow wild in rich wooded areas.  We are lucky to have a lot of it.

Wild Leeks; Ramps (Allium tricoccum)
These edible delicacies run rampant (shameless pun) over our property.  In fact, each spring brings groups of people in search of this lily relative.  Unfortunately, ramps fall victim of over-foraging.  The bulbs have a strong onion-garlic flavor; the leaves have the same yet more delicate flavor.

Trout Lily (Erythronium americanum)
These crane their little necks near the wild leeks, as they also love rich soil.  We have also found them in the sandy areas of the woods near the river.  They pop up early spring (much earlier this year).

Spearmint (Mentha spicata)
This was sold to me as spearmint.  It doesn't grow wild, but it will surely take off.  I planted it next to a sycamore tree with which I am in love.  Ideally, it will grow around the tree each year.

I have no idea what this is.  At first, I thought it might be a wild bleeding heart because many dangled the way they should, but the leaves are completely different.  I can't seem to find it in my Audubon Society field guide.  If anyone can identify this, feel free to comment. 

Field Plants

I didn't take many photos of the flowers in the field.  Because the field is perfect for farming, most of the field will be plowed, but we've discussed saving sections for the wild flowers.

Ragged Robin (Lychnis flos-cuculi)
I fell in love with these.  These are part of the carnation family.  They are sprouting up here and there.  The photograph does not do the vibrant color justice.

Most of our visit was spent planting some herbs in the field.  We planted them along a ledge that leads down to the river.  The herb garden will edge a path we've beaten down to make way into the woods and then the river.

My husband waters freshly planted herbs.  Notice that the rive has eroded this slopping ledge.  Eventually, some strong rooted plants will need to tie in this area to protect it from future damage.

Thyme (Thymus vulgaris)
This was sold as Oregano thyme.  Although, I cook with thyme often, I don't know the difference, so the latin may be wrong.  

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)

Grosso Lavender (Lavendula x intermedia Grosso)
I would love a whole field of lavender.  These are supposed to be cold hardy.  I think they will pop up again next year. Wouldn't it be cool if they ran down the ledge?

Plants Found in the Woods 

Blue Cohosh (Caulophyllum thalictroides)
What a neat plant.  It grows at the edge of the woods on the field side.  It reaches my hips and looks as if it belongs in a garden.  We missed its flowering stage, and I don't recall seeing the blue berries. 

When it rains, the river overflows into the woods.  This low lying area holds the water throughout the year.  I know it is a breeding ground for mosquitoes, but it is gorgeous.  The overgrowth of ferns was the reason for the photo, but this water is the reason for the ferns.

Ostrich Fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris)
Top view.  The ostrich fern is your basic fiddlehead fern.  This is the one found in stores as an early spring delicacy.  

Ostrich Fern (Matteucccia struthiopteris)
So far, the ferns, which are growing throughout the woods, reach my waist.  I am willing to bet that they are chest height by summer.

Bur Cucumber (Echinocystis lobata)
Early in the spring, we noticed two leaves erupting from the ground that reminded us of squash.  I'm guessing on the safe side because it seems to be growing wild.  This plant should bear a prickly fruit that resembles a cucumber.  It is not edible.  

  Back to the Trailer

Last fall, some close friends bought me bulbs for my birthday.  I don't know how they knew, but daffodils and hyacinths are my favorites.  They grew beautifully this year.  They will find a permanent home on the river property as soon as I can replant them.  So that I can find them after the leaves die down, I marked their locations with these popsicle sticks.  

Well, we are working our way toward breaking ground for construction.  I hope you continue to follow the progression.

An Uncommon Life

"Lend your voices only to sounds of freedom.  No longer lend your strength to that which you wish to be free from.  Fill your lives with love and bravery and you shall lead a life uncommon."  Life Uncommon–Jewel

A Day in an Uncommon Life

This morning we woke up later than usual.  My husband is usually up first, and Agador will usually curl up in my arms or next to my face with his motor running and a kitten smile of content.  Of course, we do perform the same morning rituals as everyone else.  We brush our teeth first thing in the morning.  Because we do not have running water, we go outside.  This usually involves some acrobatics because Agador is an indoor cat; however, he has a knack for a split second transition from playing with his eggplant (toy) to bolting through the closing door and around to the other side of the trailer. 

After we brush our teeth, my husband makes coffee while I perform more acrobatics to clean Agador's dish.  Coffee involves planning.  Although our trailer has propane heat (when it is working), we bought an electric infrared heater to divert the costs.  Unfortunately, using the heater and the coffee maker at the same time results in a small power outage.  My husband and I then sit across from each other drinking in the warmth from our coffee cups.  While I do my homework (I am going to college online), he reads the news.  

Running Water

Originally, we were going to build on the property on which we are currently living.  Since our plans have changed, we never did dig a well or septic.  We are fortunate to have neighbors who are close friends.  They let us shower at their house and fill bottles for home use. Bottles are filled about once a week (we have that many).  With the exception of one other experience in my life, running water has always been a given.  I am more thankful for the simple fact that we have water.

Aside from waxing furniture, washing dishes is my favorite task.  As a former yoga and meditation instructor, I find the task to be one in which I can pour my mind and being.  Eight months ago, washing the dishes meant lifting a lever, moving it to the left, and waiting for the water to get hot enough.  Today, I can wash dishes in a total of ten cups of water.  It all begins pouring a jug water into a cast iron pot and bringing it to a boil.  Silverware, wiped clean the previous night, are set in the hot water to sterilize.  As the water cools a little, Agador and I will play fetch.  When the water is cool enough, I wash as usual and rinse outside (more Agador-abatics occur).

Laundry Day

Again, we start by boiling water.  I'm just kidding–we go to the laundromat.  However, one of the most exciting days of my life was when we bought a line for the laundry.  I have always wanted to line dry laundry, and I got my wish.  This falls right in with the meditation thing.  Hanging laundry is like meditating.  During the winter, the clothing stiffens like cardboard and takes longer to dry.  Regardless, I have decided that I prefer it to machine drying.

Slowing Down

Our days move along much like everyone else's.  In the evenings, I complain that I have another paper to write for school while my husband reviews the drawings for the house we will build.  We take Agador out for a walk and enjoy a glass of wine.  Without many of the conveniences, our lives have slowed down.  It may come as a surprise that the absence of things normally taken for granted does not constitute hardship.  Things take a little more time to get finished, but we are left with a greater sense of accomplishment as the day comes to an end.  This is what I call freedom.

Enjoy the Weekend with a Good Book.

We will be back on Monday.

"Eventually all things will merge into one, and a river runs through it." -Norman Maclean

The rocky beach at the bottom of our property line.

Discovery of a Treasure

When we first set foot on the property, we felt destined to live there.  A black angus farm bordered the property line on one side; the river bordered the property on the other.  During our first hour there, while four towering oak trees awed us, only one car passed.  We watched it drift away over the steel bridge feeling as if we had found heaven.

What drove us there was a neighbor who would not give us an easement to have our electricity installed.  This is the way the universe takes care of us.  Pure luck drove us through the year it took to acquire the property.  On December 23, 2011, a new world of possibilities opened to us.

A freshwater clam

The River

The Shawangunk Kill stretches from New Jersey and into the Hudson Valley of New York.  It is a north running river.  One of the cleanest, the river is privately owned by the properties that border it.  Only a few small parcels are city owned.  Small mouth bass, cray fish, and a few rare species of mussels are native to the Shawangunk Kill.  Our twelve acres of freedom are DEC regulated in order to preserve the integrity of the fish and plant life it supports and the wet lands.  

In the summer that we found the property, we bought river walkers and dove into the river.  The portion by the bridge was deep and filled with boulders and the water was warm.  Due previous floods the river had etched out an island on our side of the property.  With our river walkers, we were able to explore the sandy beaches on the other side.  Because a stretch of forest borders the field and the river, it is hard to reach.  Dense undergrowth, ferns and skunk cabbage, reach our waistlines.  Coming in through the river gave us the opportunity to see the various beaches (rocky and sandy) and cut out slopes.  We walked and swam up and down the length of the river.  The experience was surreal, but the knowledge that it could be our private heaven was sublime.

Skunk cabbage

Swamps

In the spring, the swamp land gives rise to some of the most interesting plants on the planet.  Since forever have I been partial to skunk cabbage patches.  Their Jurassic sized leaves always filled me with a sense of mystery.  This spring, we have had the chance to discover many wonders of wetlands.  Rubber boots are essential on such a property.  At times, the river overflows into this forest wetland area.  We have many fallen trees where we can sit and watch the greenery grow.  Small flowers I have never seen before carpet sections.  Many will be introduced in future blogs.  We even found a mound of pachysandra.

Just an old stump

Driftwood

Stumps, fallen trees, and driftwood sculpt many areas.  Because the trees have grown undisturbed, they have shaped themselves into swamp and ocean-like expressions.  Agador (our kitten, if you haven't met him) will have a ball with the driftwood climbing tree my husband plans on making.  His claws will also be pleased with all the downed trees during walk time.  For me, the curves and shadows will serve as inspiration for drawing, painting, and photography projects.  

Laying Down the Past: Moving into the Future

Last and First Day

Laying Down The Past: Moving into the Future

On October 13, 2011, my husband and I moved from a house that the bank foreclosed upon to live in a trailer.  The entire process began when the mortgage holder devalued the house in a letter.  What followed was a grueling two years of (1) trying to save the house and then (2) trying to save a business (our source of income).  In the process, we were lucky enough to buy a travel trailer, which we situated on a temporary lot.  While still in the house, we were first hand witnesses to the unethical behavior of lawyers and realtors as a result of the wave of foreclosures.  Survivors, however, move forward.

The information here is incomplete.  So much happened within that two year stretch that it would take that long to reiterate every event that led to this point.  Many of the holes will be filled as the blog moves along.  The current goal is to offer you a sketch of some key events that we experienced.

No Water, No Electricity

Champagne and candles marked our freedom.  Our first night in the trailer was the most relaxed either of us had been in the past two years.  We were tired.  No.  We were exhausted.  In fact, we still are.  The trailer was not hooked up to any electricity or water, so we had to use the candles to stay warm.  This was an exciting time and we were up for the challenge.

October 29, 2011
Two Feet of Snow

October Snow


We were lucky to have been in the house during the winter 2010/2011.  With Halloween barely around the corner, we felt confident that we had time before we had electricity trenched in.  Instead, a snow storm blew through on October 29, 2011 leaving behind two feet of snow.  As an army of snowflakes flurried down, we sped to our local box store and bought one of the remaining generators (Hurricane Irene had left many stores dry).

We slept in our clothes and some wool hats that night, and many nights to follow.  Running the generator into the evening just so we had heat was not economical–gas is much too expensive.  On the other hand, candles are effective for heating a small space.  Paranoid me, however, really needed to keep the windows cracked.

Electricity is the most 

December 12, 2011

I remember watching Little House on the Prairie and wondering how it must have been for the pioneers to have to use outhouses in the winter.  Here, I must add a note of caution:  Be careful what you ask for.  We rented a port-o-potty, which the providing company cleans out weekly.  During the winter, particularly mornings and nights, it is very cold.  It is on cold nights that I am thankful for being born a male.  However, the monumental convenience of electricity was granted to us on December 12, 2011.  We could now heat the trailer through the night.  

Twelve Acres

On December 23, 2011, I closed on twelve acres of river property.  The property line goes to the midpoint of the river bed, giving us approximately 2,000 lineal feet of river.  The beaches vary between rocky and sandy.  Inland is 10 acres of field, which meets an additional 15 acres of field  owned by the previous owners of our property.  We will be building a house on the high part of the property overlooking the river and a steel bridge.  The house will be built as it can be afforded, because we plan to never rely on another bank (soap box moment) again.  This property is a blessing in many ways.  We plan to live here.  We plan to use the property to its fullest potential.  We plan to survive.

Another Blessing

Born August 16, 2011, Agador joined our family just before Christmas.  After flying in from Florida, he came down with what we are certain was distemper.  He nearly died.  Remarkably, he recovered after a three day stay in the hospital.  He is a flame-point siamese.  Never have I had a cat that is so playful, lovable, and with such personality.  As he too is a survivor, he plans on making many appearances on this blog.