Most mornings, Meg and I take a walk through the woods on our new property. These woods have seen a lot of change over the years. They were no doubt burnt in the Great Fire of 1870 which destroyed much forest and property in this area. A neighbour tells of finding burnt cedar stumps several feet in diameter, now hollowed out, in these woods. There is evidence that there was a maple syrup operation, and like much land around here, it was probably pasture for a while, too. Most of the trees aren't all that big, but they are straight and tall and appear to be healthy.
The sky is revealed through gaps in the trees. The early morning clouds are breaking up.
An old road which was used to haul maple sap and firewood makes an inviting trail through the forest. The sun is now shining beautiful dappled light everywhere.
Our 25 acres is a small part of a larger forest that is unfortunately threatened with development on all sides. There is a 153 house subdivision going in on adjoining land and 400 homes are scheduled to be built less than a kilometre away. We are privileged to live here on such beautiful land and so close to town, but the price to pay is the heartbreak of witnessing the destruction of habitat and biodiversity all around us. It's heavy stuff to contemplate so early, so I do my best to appreciate what's here right now.
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