Autumn has always been my favorite time of the year, but since moving to the woods I love it even more. I look out my window and see the changing of the leaves and how the sunlight filters through the trees at certain times of the day. It is nice being back in the woods as the days are getting shorter, the nights colder, the trees barer and life quieter. I like the crispness in the air, I appreciate a fire in our outdoor firepit and delight in the crackling of leaves beneath my feet as I walk through the yard.
We live on five acres of land with about three and a half acres being woods. In the summer we cannot see the other houses in the neighborhood unless we go down to the street. The woods are full of oak, pine, poplar, birch, sweetgum and maple, so our house is surrounded by tall, stately trees.
We are pretty isolated out here so you can probably imagine how lonely it sometimes gets back here in the woods. We do have neighbors but since every home owner out here owns five or more acres of land, none of the houses are close. Our street is gravelled, there are no sidewalks and we do not even have a street sign at the corner. Thankfully, I have gotten to know most of my neighbors and there is a comfortable camaraderie among us.
Living in the woods has its advantages and it also has its challenges. There is no broadband back here and cell phone reception is not the best. Everyone in this area has satellite since there is no cable. Some of my neighbors have tried streaming, but internet via Hughes Net is very sketcchy and only provides limited data.
There is a little country store about five miles away but to go to a supermarket means anywhere from a twenty to a twenty-five minute drive. All of the streets from our road to the main highway are two lane, winding country roads. The closest shopping center is about forty minutes away, the nearest airport is one and a half hours and it takes close to a half hour to get to interstate.
Though there are challenges to living in the woods, there are also huge benefits, especially for someone like me who loves nature and space to breathe. I appreciate the quiet and the feeling of being tucked away in my own little corner of the world. We do have good neighbors who are all always willing to step in and help each other. Paul and I enjoy exploring our woods and finding all the treasures hidden in them. Our land is full of quartz so we are never at a loss for large stones to outline our flower gardens. We certainly do not have to buy firewood since there are so many downed trees in the woods plus a neighbor across the street has chickens so I always have fresh free-range eggs,
In the spring and summer our hummingbird and bird feeders are filled with all kinds of beautiful birds. Of course, we also have a lot of squirrels, rabbits, deer, possum, raccoon, foxes and even a bear. This summer we came across a copperhead making his way into the woods and it is not unusual to see black snakes slithering across the yard.
There are four young children in our neighborhood and I love the sound of them playing in the yard. They spend their time outdoors on their trampoline and jungle gyms and I often see them going in and out of the woods on the trails their parents have cut for them to ride their four wheelers on. It is so refreshing to hear the squeals of delight and the laughter of children playing outside.
It seems people either love living in the woods or they hate it. I have been told by a few that they could never live where I live, and then there are those who say they would give anything to live where we live. If you are attached to a cell phone and broadband and to the convenience of city living, you would not like it back here. However, if you are someone who enjoys quiet, dark nights with no street lights and being in nature, then you would love it back here.
I would appreciate hearing from my readers. What works best for you? City or country living?
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| At the firepit |
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| Fall in the front yard |
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