... and the living is easy

© harrington

Hi! Thanks for the visit. Can you sense Spring slipping into Summer? Although the solstice is still several weeks away, meteorological Summer starts on Saturday, three days from now. There's the possibility of strong thunderstorms this afternoon. The dogs are spending more time panting, with their tongues hanging out, than they did at the beginning of the week. Thanks to outstanding effort from the daughter person and her significant other [SO], the front yard has been prepared and the white clover seed spread. We're all curious to see if this works and if we actually get a decent germination over the next week or 10 days. I don't think any of us want to contemplate astroturf/lawn. That just doesn't fit with laid back country living. Two notable brush piles have been burned recently. One more to go, for now. It's getting so we won't recognize the place. All my years of benign neglect going to waste! I try hard not to feel too envious of the demonstrations of youthful energy to which the old home place and the old home body are regularly subjected these days, although that level of energy seems to constantly be just beyond my reach these days.  Conversations about blueberry bushes and bees (would that make this place a B&B  &B?) haven't yet elicited snorts of derision. Maybe its time to start researching solar powered electric fences. I'm (re)discovering that country property can be subject to the same dichotomy that houses suffer from: is it more home or more investment? It seems the more an owner personalizes their house (property) the more challenging it can be to find a buyer when and if it comes time to sell. So, when decisions must be made about what to do with the old homestead, the question of whether you bought your house (property) as a place to live and raise a family or as an investment can become critical. If the latter, neutral beige may predominate and a distinct lack of character may seep through the "curb appeal." but make the property more attractive to the restless crowd that inhabits this country and moves every five years or so, I've read. Makes me wonder if we can make it easier for folks to come to love a place if they're leaving just as they get to know it. Do you suppose there'd be any kind of market for a "welcome wagon" type of package that highlights the local flora and fauna and seasonal features? Do you think that Minnesota's native species are too numerous to make such an effort worthwhile? Listen to me. I'm busy commoditizing and monetizing a sense of place while I'm still sorting out which trees are growing on the property. None of mine seem to have posed for the identification books we have. All of which brings me back to a realization that "life is a mystery to be lived, not a problem to be solved." Thanks for listening. Come again when you can. Rants, raves and reflections served here daily.