Scenery pictures, what does your world look like............

DieselBound · Oct 22, 2021

^^^ ljjhouser, that pretty much sums up my view of things. I'm just the current caretaker. Hoping to pass something "better" along to someone else (whether I'm involved in that transaction or not doesn't matter to me- I KNOW what I've done, and that pretty much is all that counts to/for me).

Here's a recent pic from outside my homestead area. Coming back after going for a walk with the dog (she beat me to the gate; egg basket there on the post ready for "us" to do chores- "play" is first!):

ljjhouser · Oct 22, 2021

DieselBound said:
^^^ ljjhouser, that pretty much sums up my view of things. I'm just the current caretaker. Hoping to pass something "better" along to someone else (whether I'm involved in that transaction or not doesn't matter to me- I KNOW what I've done, and that pretty much is all that counts to/for me).

Here's a recent pic from outside my homestead area. Coming back after going for a walk with the dog (she beat me to the gate; egg basket there on the post ready for "us" to do chores- "play" is first!):

Diesel - excellent post. I love the dog beating you to the gate. They always do - makes us smile. But then, makes us sad when they can no longer beat us to "help" us. Very nice - beautiful land. It is interesting how some of us "for some reason" gravitate to the land and enjoy the outdoors so much. And others move to the inside and view the outdoors as "uncomfortable." While many of us seem to find comfort around the outdoors and land. Just an interesting thought. Thank You, Larry

DieselBound · Oct 22, 2021

ljjhouser said:
Diesel - excellent post. I love the dog beating you to the gate. They always do - makes us smile. But then, makes us sad when they can no longer beat us to "help" us. Very nice - beautiful land. It is interesting how some of us "for some reason" gravitate to the land and enjoy the outdoors so much. And others move to the inside and view the outdoors as "uncomfortable." While many of us seem to find comfort around the outdoors and land. Just an interesting thought. Thank You, Larry

She won't always beat me. She's 3 1/2 now. LOTS of training for this beast! She'd lag and not come when called and I'd have to chase her down: often when I'm horribly pressed for time! Fortunately, between training and aging, she's become awesome.

Our neighbors regularly remark at how much they like what we've done. There's a LOT they cannot see.

Our property is a painting that will never be finished, one that keeps changing. At first I was going to just jump in and do this and do that. That approach would have resulted in disaster. I learned to live with and feel the land before doing anything significant and, I feel, that that has been the right approach. Whether anyone else would feel comfortable with maintaining all of this I don't know. It's a lot of work. But being able to see all of it as I'm working, to see the changes happening as I do the work, is what it's really about. It's a hobby. Living here, however, is a way of life...

Many thanks to all that share here. I know that in person all the pictures shown don't really capture how wonderful the actual live view is/was- things are even more awesome than what the pictures show!

BigBlue1 · Oct 22, 2021

Fall colors continue to shine. This is in central MN:

buckeyefarmer · Oct 22, 2021

Not too much color yet on skyline drive. Last year on this date was peak.

3 Horse Ranch · Oct 23, 2021

DieselBound said:
Our neighbors regularly remark at how much they like what we've done. There's a LOT they cannot see.

There is something immensely satisfying in working and improving a property. My wife and worked my brothers property on a state highway for 4 years cleaning things up, putting in fencing, tearing out blackberries, removing junk, leveling out piles of dirt left by the previous owner, mowing, reseeding and more. He is blind and couldn't really appreciate all the hard work, but we got complements from neighbors, fellow church members, FedEx and UPS drivers, and just about everybody who knew where we lived.

My wife is gone, the property sold and now I am working on my brother's new property. It's at the end of a long single driveway and not much of anybody is going to see the work, but it is still immensely satisfying.

BackRoad · Oct 23, 2021

^^^^ Agree there is much value to be gained simply from the "doing"...

There is little joy in paying somebody else to do a task...and hugely satisfying to tackle something never tried before, and seeing it turn out good!

BackRoad · Oct 23, 2021

ljjhouser said:
Sometimes I look at my "land." It is in the Ozark Mountains. When I bought it the land was "Unimproved Land." There were tree tops everywhere - cedar trees mostly, some oak. Most of the very large trees were gone. It had been logged maybe 30 years before I bought it. I scratched out what we needed on the side of this rock called the oldest mountain range in the U.S. 30 years of work have kept me busy. And I have enjoyed almost every minute of it. And as I look at it, I think of those who have walked this land before me. I suspect there have been many. I guess it is a far stretch for me to call this "my land." There will be others to follow. Many, I hope. I hope others will look over the valley and say, "this is really nice." I guess I rented "my land" with a few dollars and every one of those minutes of work. It may not be long before someone else will "own this land." It is just a speck of time in the overall picture of time.
Still, I sure like looking at it. It changes season by season, day by day, and hour by hour. And there is a pretty good show most everyday. Deer, turkey parades, coyote, roadrunner, fox, raccoons,opposum, ground hogs, bobcat, black bear, elk, Eagles and those funny little lizards that the dog can no longer catch as she ages. And the rainbow and brown trout that I used to fish every free minute in the past - I know they are still there - waiting. All are my closest neighbors. Just in the woods with my family and friends.

Very well stated Mr. ljjhouser.

We truly are just temporary renters...and just passing through...

Sure, we use and enjoy our land, but land "ownership" should be more accurately viewed as a commitment to be a good steward...to make it better...to improve it...while it is under our responsibility and care.