Although I should have gone a couple of days ago (as it was sunny) the as- promised walk about.
Looking down across the driveway:
Down the Middle And Lower Meadow...
...and across the road to the Upper Meadow.
From the top of the Upper Meadow looking back towards...well, really an extension of the Upper Meadow:
The Woodlot: This is second parcel which somehow is almost a third of the value of the entire property (if subdivided). But why would a sensible person do that?
More of the Upper Meadow:
Along the Lower Meadow...
...down the Lower Meadow...
...and back towards the Middle Meadow:
The seasonal pond is filling up again:
The road back. Technically, this longer way (2 miles or so) is the deeded access to the property:
Climbing Home:
Thanks for the tour TB, lots of room there, enough for your own range also....... :)
ReplyDeleteNylon12, there are more than a few locations that this could be done. The best, actually, is in the Back 40, where there is a nice gentle rising small canyon that is far away from all buildings and completely isolated.
DeleteVery pretty. You are lucky the landscape ground cover is kept so spare so can be viewed for long distances. I can see a lot of visitors who walk the property gain serenity. There is so much to take in at once. Pausing the stroll and looking around gains even more.
ReplyDeleteHere (south Texas, hard up against the Mexican border near the mouth of the Rio Grande River), terrain which is clear soon grows small plants which left alone often grow to be pretty large. This growth becomes a thicket of spiny plants. For pastures to remain clear like those pictured above, the person tending the land has to maintain a routine cutting and removal - burning of dried materials. The job is never finished, what is removed here is growing over there. Pretty good exercise - no need for a gym membership.
Beautiful landscape - you are lucky you have the opportunity to enjoy it.
The Meadows (Upper, Middle, Lower) have been clear of woods and all undergrowth for as long as I can remember and from every picture I have seen, since the land came into the family in the late 1940's. The fact that the rest of the cover is so low is due to my father, TB The Elder, who spent his first 5 or 6 years up here brush hogging everything down. The Cowboy and his son The Young Cowboy do spot checks now. That said, there are still some parts that are much more "natural".
DeleteI imagine the routine you describe - although the thought of clearing spiny plants leaves my fingers tingling (even in gloves, I can always find the spines).
We are fortunate - fortunate that my Great Aunt and Uncle lived here, fortunate that they were willing to sell some of it to my mother and father, and fortunate that my father and mother loved it enough to leave it as it is.
Almost universally, everyone that comes here comments on how amazing it is. The troubling thing - to me, anyway - is that this is true of thousands of other locations everywhere, yet we have insisted on tearing them up for this and that.
That is a slice of heaven on earth. Lovely land, gentle rolling and woods. Wow.
ReplyDeleteIt is, STxAR. One of the nice things about walking at this time of year is due to the cold and the rain, most people and animals are not out, so it is rather silent except for the odd overhead jet or cars on the main road.
DeleteThere are several places on the home farm that I have thought would make great locations for a house someday. Scenic and remote but still fairly accessible to the rest of the world with time and fuel for a vehicle. At this point though, I doubt that a house will ever get built on them. Right now with kids at home, it makes sense to be closer to civilization. When they are gone, it will be time for us to travel and it will be nice to have someplace in town where services can be maintained and eyes watching it during our absence. Eventually, we will tire and wish to come home but probably won't want the physical exertion of maintaining a rural property. But I hope it will always be close enough I can drive out and see it from time to time while taking a walk.
ReplyDeleteEd, the remoteness is one issue to consider. My parents had many friends that eventually had to move "to town" as they could no longer live here due to medical or physical issues. And if one plans to do a lot of a traveling, that presents another reason to locate more closely to civilization.
DeleteAlthough in one of his great thoughts in The Contrary Farmer, Gene Logsdon noted with the abundance of Nature and beauty at his farm, why would he want to travel? He had everything he needed there. And at some level, that resonates with me.
The reason someone would subdivide the woodlot, is for the money. Then will come the day when they have neither the land or the money. Have seen this many times, including my own family. Very sad.
ReplyDeleteI have never heard that in a saying form before, but it sounds 100% correct.
DeleteThere is a nice log cabin standing there. Just needs assembly.
ReplyDeleteWhat is it Mr.Wilder says about moving out of cities?
"better a year too early than a day late?"
The family relationships you have with the neighbors makes this piece of land enormously more valuable than any equivalent piece without that history- it takes a lot of time to build trust in a new community -and they are your security over the long run.
Raven, what you do not see is The Cowboy's sawmill in that area. Several of the outbuildings for the cattle and horses are built from lumber milled here.
DeleteThat Mr. Wilder. Such a genius.
The relationships are indeed priceless beyond compare. Last visit out, I met a neighbor coming up the road I had not seen in years. Introduced himself to me (again), let me know there was a mountain lion (two, actually) wandering around the larger area. More of a conversation than I have had with my neighbors in New Home in a long time.
Gorgeous, blessed property, TB.
ReplyDeleteTake care and God bless.
Thank you Linda. It is beautiful.
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