I've mentioned before that we live in an especially beautiful place, and sometimes it just outdoes itself. We have a family tradition of taking a walk after any big family dinner, to the local stream just down the road.
We gather everyone up, young and old, and straggle along laughing and talking the 1/3 mile country road to the bridge. There are certain traditions that have to be honored during that walk.
The state line is on the way, so we each have to take a big step when crossing that line and say, "Now! We're in Michigan."
Then when we get to the stream, we each pick up a small stick, throw it into the water on the upstream side of the bridge, carefully check for traffic, then all rush over to the other side of the bridge to watch for our sticks to come drifting out. This part sometimes has to be done 8 or 9 times until all the little ones are content to move on.
In warm weather, we have to walk down the path to the swamp and look for the toads in the shallow water and on the logs. We toss little pebbles nearby to see if we can scare them into hopping away. Normally they just watch us with their buggly eyes.
This morning the 4" of clean white snow was so beautiful and my daughter in South Carolina was homesick for the beauty, so asked for a picture of the stream. Jim took a walk and came back with a whole virtual winter walk. I hope you enjoy it too.
We gather everyone up, young and old, and straggle along laughing and talking the 1/3 mile country road to the bridge. There are certain traditions that have to be honored during that walk.
The state line is on the way, so we each have to take a big step when crossing that line and say, "Now! We're in Michigan."
Then when we get to the stream, we each pick up a small stick, throw it into the water on the upstream side of the bridge, carefully check for traffic, then all rush over to the other side of the bridge to watch for our sticks to come drifting out. This part sometimes has to be done 8 or 9 times until all the little ones are content to move on.
In warm weather, we have to walk down the path to the swamp and look for the toads in the shallow water and on the logs. We toss little pebbles nearby to see if we can scare them into hopping away. Normally they just watch us with their buggly eyes.
This morning the 4" of clean white snow was so beautiful and my daughter in South Carolina was homesick for the beauty, so asked for a picture of the stream. Jim took a walk and came back with a whole virtual winter walk. I hope you enjoy it too.
The road from right in front of the house.
A little further on.
There! That's the state line! Big step now!
Getting close! Watch for a stick to throw!
There's the bridge, almost there.
The swamp, no toads to be seen today.
Upstream-
Downstream. The water's very dark and quiet today. In the summer it's clear and fast. You can see the bottom rocks and sometimes the big salmon who venture this far from the big lake.
The new path into the woods by the swamp. Nobody walking there this cold day.
.....and back home again. Don't you feel refreshed?
1 comment:
So much snow - but what a lovely patch. (And you have salmon!) We are almost on a county boundary line too, though not as close as you.
In the UK (in response to your lovely long comment) we are blessed with many footpaths - although some are old rights of way, many are new and had to be hard fought for (with landowners) - mostly triggered by a 'mass trespass' in the first part of the 20th century. Basically, until the last few hundred years people/peasants could roam around and had parcels of land given to them to farm, but various governments (who comprised of the landowning wealthy classes) brought in acts of enclosure and *stealing* the land from the people, so that they were trespassing on what had been common ground. The mass trespass was an illegal act (in the 1930s)by hundreds of walkers, which kick started some of our great cultures, like the Right to Roam, the National Parks, the Rambler's Association and over the years people have gradually re-opened up the countryside for all.
http://www.kindertrespass.com/
Though landowners and farmers (like the estate owner who owns much of the countryside round our village) still dislike the idea and there are numerous *keep out* and *private* signs along my walks - you do have to keep to the footpaths. But new ones are opening up all the time, as people become more interested in walking (one good thing about the recession!)
As for allotments - they go way back (hundreds of years) - and are also tied in with the Enclosure Acts, as mentioned, which closed off most of the previously common held land. Allotments are generally parcels of land owned by local councils, which are divvied up into strips, which are then rented out to locals.
http://www.allotment.org.uk/articles/Allotment-History.php
They became really popular in the 2nd World War, when we had rationing and people were encouraged to *Dig for Victory!* Sadly, during the latter part of the last century, numerous councils have sold off their allotments for building (and still are) though recently there has been a new re-surgence of people wanting to grow their own, and in some parts of London rents (which used to be quite low, as they were intended for working people who had little or no gardens) have shot up and there are massive waiting lists, years long. And ironically it tends to be the better off middle classes who are using them.
Last year, a chap called Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall set up a land share scheme, whereby people who have spare land (even just a pocket in a garden) let other people farm it, in return for free produce. Even the church authorities are getting involved, as they own so much land which is not used
http://www.rivercottage.net/landshare/
Great Britain does have revolutions, they just tend to be quiet and long-term! BTW, this is a very loose and potted history lesson, hence the links if you are interested. Greetings from a dull and windy Oxfordshire (where we are forecast snow too).
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