We talk daily, as a couple and as a family. Laughter is a major component of our shared time together. My husband is a humorous man, often silly, and unafraid to play. He jokes and teases, but also showers us with affection and appreciation. Breakfast and dinner are family times, unless I am working at night. We seldom eat fast food; meal preparation is a gift I give my family. Television was jettisoned ten years ago, although we rent movies as a treat. We seldom shop at the mall, go to restaurants, or attend cultural events. We do entertain friends, enjoying shared laughter more than any spectator sport. Our life is one of contemplation and gratitude, usually. There are major upheavals at times, such as dealing with my mother who lives on our property. She is learning to live alone again after a five-year relationship. It has not been an easy transition for her, or for us.

Our daughter finds our life somewhat boring, and at fourteen is confident New York City will be more her style. I encourage her desire to travel, to see the world. It is what her father and I did in our early years together. Having built a boat and sailed for almost 20 years of our lives, we can appreciate the call of the unknown. It is another blessing for which we are grateful, having seen and done so much when we were young and able. But this chapter of our lives is focused on the beauty of nature, and our relationship to it. To quote Albert Einstein,

"A human being is a part of the whole called by us "Universe," a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings, as something separated from the rest, a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole nature in its beauty."

Our land is the perfect place for this awareness to unfold. In a period of six years, we have seen bear, cougar, deer, red fox, rabbits, squirrels, chipmunks, wild turkey, ruffed grouse, osprey, great blue herons, wild ducks, Canadian geese, kingfishers and a wide variety of song birds. Each occurrence is an event in our lives. In our walks through the woods, we have fallen into magical lands of wild iris, wild orchid, and colorful mushrooms; wonderlands of fern and lichen; fairytales of elfin hollows where bubbling springs begin their dance upon the earth. Fireflies frolic in our meadows, and foxfire and wet-wood phosphorescence give radiance to dark nights. Our pond changes character with the season, switching from the white finery of winter to the effervescent green of spring, while ducks and swans greet the change with buoyant enthusiasm. With the advent of summer, we will share the water with them, floating with friends on hot, verdant days. A great appreciation of the bounty of our home comes in spring and summer, when the earth gives a profusion of blossoms, and the garden’s abundance is collected and preserved.

A chip mill has been built in a nearby community. In the surrounding countryside, we begin to see the evidence of its destruction. Landowners sell their trees for the price of a new car, and every living entity is displaced in their greed or lack of awareness. In storms soil washes away, and with it the chance for recovery. We are thankful our land butts up against the Pisgah National Forest, and a bear preserve is located beyond the next ridge. Our stream is clean, originating in that uninhabited space. We live in a cove, or hollow, where the ridges are, for the most part, our borders. The purchase of this land was based on luck and guidance. Our views will not be contaminated with developments, or other houses. We feel a responsibility to the land; we are caretakers rather than owners. Large tracts are becoming difficult to find, impossible to afford. This property is dedicated to preservation—for wildlife and for those of us who want to experience nature as a foundation for the soul’s growth.