Into the Woods ...

Our street dead ends at a woodsy-bog.

When I moved in, I asked the neighbours if they walked there and they declared it to be impassible.  I left it at that till early last spring when I decided to see just how impassible it really was.

I'm glad I did, as although it was overgrown and wet in places, it held much potential for fun for me and the pack. 

Over the course of several weeks I hiked into the woods with my garden gloves, BIG clippers and several dogs in tow, to blaze trails.  Sometimes I'd spend 20 minutes clearing a trail only to discover that it became too overgrown to be cleared any further and had to be abandoned.  I always came home with blisters and a sliver or two.

After getting lost one time too many I began to tie pieces of blue ribbon to branches marking the trail.

The dogs could care less about my trail clearing.  They enjoy romping after each other and exploring wherever their noses lead them.  

With the arrival of warmer spring days, a blanket of buzzing mosquitos put an end to our walks in the woods and we had to find other places to go walking.

But now the cold weather has returned, the pack and I have reclaimed our woods.  

Quite a few trees have fallen, probably due to Hurricane Earl.  I've cleared up some of the trails and begun making new ones. 

I don't spend all my time toiling away in the woods.  I often stop to marvel at tiny ferns growing at a time when everything else is turning brown and crinkly or to drink in the beauty of  defiant beds of lush, green moss.  

It's the perfect antidote to the coming winter.  A place where new life and green things remain.