Behind our house are the woods. If you look carefully, especially in the spring, you can just catch the rush of the stream.
Behind our house live many woodland animals—foxes, raccoons, deer, fishers, porcupines, coyotes, mink, owls, and even bears. Only once in a while do we see these animals, but never long enough to get a picture of them.
Behind our house, there were once fields where crops were grown. As with so much of New England, we have the remnants of stone walls, an enduring proof of the hard labor of those who once lived on this land.
Behind our house there are many trees, some of which have fallen, giving nourishment to this beautiful fungi.
Behind our house is our backyard, with a patio and a grill. In the summer and early fall, it is our second living room, where Clif and I relax, where we get together with friends and family. Right now, in March, the backyard doesn’t look like much, but soon, soon, the mud will dry, the trees will bud, and we will be back on our patio, cupped in the green hand of the woods.
Notes From the Hinterland 
It’s great to have those remnants of the past
In northern New England, those walls are very common. And yes, a remnant from the past.
I’d like to talk a walk behind your house. 🙂
A couple of years ago, I tried following the stream down to the Upper Narrows Pond, but there’s so much undergrowth that I didn’t get very far. So I admire from the backyard 😉
Lovely piece of writing, Laurie. ‘…cupped in the green hand of the woods.’ Beautifully put – I know that feeling exactly!
Thanks, Eliza!
Must be wonderful to live so close to nature. In the city we have to recreate nature. Not the same thing.
Mary, we love it. However, cities also have many wonderful things.
Yes, Laurie. I’m a city girl. 🙂
Lots of wonderful things to do and see in a city. Our daughter lives in New York City, and we have had so much fun visiting her.
I love NYC 🙂
The picture of the fungi is so beautiful. Isn’t it wonderful to watch the woods wake after a cold winter. Enjoyed the post.
Thanks, Carina! I, too, was struck by the fungi’s beauty. Yes, I love watching the woods wake after a cold winter. I never get tired of it, no matter how many springs I have seen. And I’ve seen quite a few 😉
Nice. As usual. I also liked the fungi pic and the phrase “…cupped in the green hand of the woods.” XOXO
Thanks, Burni!
A nice patch of woods you have there. I love New England’s stone walls. We have several large stone piles on our land that I’m mining for some stonework. As I pick through the rocks, I wonder about all the people who cleared the land through the years. So much labor.
Thanks, Brenda! Yes, so much work, and for the walls, at least, a lovely record of labor.