Hi Bob,
I think you should be a writer, if you are not already that is,
because your description is so lovely and graphic that it was like I
was seeing it for myself. And very lovely it sounds too. Thank you
for sharing it with us in such an amazing way.
all the very best to you and your wife
Sandara



--- In stomacentralint@yahoogroups.com, "Robert Query" <ednnmiv@...>
wrote:
>
> Views????
>
> Alice and I live in Virginia, USA in a single family dwelling on 3
acres, (used to be 10 acres), but close to the road in front of the
house. Looking out the front door I see the small entrance porch
that is covered with a roof supported by wrought ironwork. Directly
out I see our brick path to the drive, bordered by beds of
perennials that are now dormant, and beyond that a line of evergreen
trees and the farm fence that borders the road. To the right I see
one of our two garden pools, but the plants are all asleep for the
winter, as are the Gold Fish and frogs. To the left I can see the
drive parking area, the farm type gate at the drive entrance that
held a Christmas Wreath until a few days ago, and I can also see
parts of Alice's many free form flower beds, all looking a bit drab
in the winter weather, but which "sport" many different perennials
and hybrid lilies during the summer months. Further out is the side
fence, (3 board farm type) and beyond that a stand of pines, and
hardwoods that give is a buffer and screening from the nearest
neighbor's house.
>
> We have a side door about 32' back from the front of the house
that opens from our "plant - potting room" and can see the rest of
Alice's gardens and areas of lawn that fight to grow grass due to
the large oak trees in our yard on that side of the house. Really
large oaks....the house is now 107 years old and the trees have been
there since it was built in 1899-1900.
>
> The back door off the utility and boiler room faces the back side
of a one story section of house, but we can also see some of the
back yard space, a large deck under a Maple tree, and assorted beds
that "sport" assorted native ferns in the summer, and offer a place
to set out potted house plants during the summer months & my garden
tractor covered with a tarp. Far at the back is a 6' + high privacy
fence that surrounds the entire back area......enclosing about 1/4
acre of the yard. There is also a Linden tree in view that smells
delightful when in bloom in the summer, and a now very large and
tall "Willow Oak" that our daughter dragged in one day when she was
young. I planted it not really knowing what it was at the time, and
it was only a sprig, but now reaches 50-60' into the air offering
additional shade in our very hot summers, and loads of tiny acorns
each fall. Wildlife around the place consists of squirrels....more
than I like......a family of Chipmunks that range all over the
place, running fast as can be tails straight up as they go. There
will be an occasional land turtle in warm weather, a black snake and
sometimes a brightly colored "Garter Snake" seen along with assorted
small lizards sunning themselves in warm weather along with the
gardeners friends -assorted toads...... and birds galore of all
kinds native to our area...some in summer and some year around
visitors including the smaller woodpeckers coming to the
birdfeeders, and hummingbirds during the summer. An occasional hawk
stops by, or a large "Barred Owl" looking for field mice I guess.
Beyond the fenced area we can see the pines and hardwoods that
surround our open yard areas, and sometimes we are visited by flocks
of Crows making a racket. Used to see Deer before we fenced the
area and once saw wild Turkeys, and ever so often we see a visiting
Pilated Woodpecker.....(Large bird)...looking for bugs in dead
pines. Those are our views from our doors.
>
> Sadly...Urban sprawl and the building of new homes in our area,
that used to totally rural, has reduced the number of wildlife we
were used to when we moved here over 40 years ago.
>