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My Backyard View

4/2/2020

8 Comments

 
Picture
"Nature will bear the closest inspection. She invites us to lay our eye level with her smallest leaf, and take an insect view of its plain."
— Henry David Thoreau
Along with everyone else, we’re staying at home to “flatten the curve” in this strange beginning of 2020. When my horizon shrank to my house and the little patch of ground on which it rests, I became a close observer of what surrounds me. My backyard became my Walden Pond.
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My backyard is sheltered and private, an appealing facsimile of rambling nature. The previous owners enjoyed all kinds of plants and popped into a bare space anything they found eye-catching. They created a pleasing jumble of green.

They loved succulents, and so do I, all those weird and wonderful shapes. This one looks like a miniature alien from Little Shop of Horrors. 
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​I retreat to the backyard, escaping from the daily news to savor the last colors of autumn. 
Or to watch the birds forage and the bees busy at work. 
Sometimes I’ll spot the occasional skink, but I’m never fast enough to catch a photo.
​
The backyard also includes a decaying bird bath the birds never use and something that looks like the skeletal remains of an umbrella pulled inside-out by the wind. It’s for drying clothes outside— which everyone does here—but I haven’t the knack of it yet. My American addiction to a clothes dryer persists.
I have never been a gardener—I have a black thumb rather than a green one—so I never know what anything is called. Some things I recognize though, like a geranium, rosemary, and a lemon tree. And we may have a bay tree.
But I’m coming to think that maybe looking deeply is more important than categorizing. It’s peaceful out there in my backyard, with the birds chortling and the scent of rosemary. I can feel myself settle as I wander its eccentric paths.
8 Comments
Diane
4/2/2020 03:00:21 pm

I’m surprised you haven’t fixed up the bird bath (LOL)

Reply
Rose
4/2/2020 03:20:05 pm

We're in the assessment period right now -- trying to figure out whether cleaning will make a difference or if we should just replace it. I'm leaning toward the second one. :) Thanks for reading and commenting!

Reply
Ed Reniker
4/2/2020 04:26:40 pm

Thank you for all those pictures. You have a lovely garden. My wife, Teresa, is the outdoor person here. We have the tulips up (what few the squirrels missed) and the almond and cherry trees (ornamental both) are out. The red Japanese maple is lovely and we are waiting for the hardwoods to get some foliage soon. My only issue is the allergies I seem to revisit in the Spring. Annoying but worth the flowering and budding trees none the less. Stay safe.

Reply
Rose
4/3/2020 03:20:16 pm

Ed, thank you for that description—your yard sounds lovely. I do miss the flowering cherry trees this time of year. I hope you and your family stay safe as well. Thanks for reading and commenting!

Reply
Irene Morales Ward link
4/3/2020 12:39:24 am

Wonderful post, Rose. I enjoyed the virtual trip through your backyard. It's lovely!

Reply
Rose
4/3/2020 03:22:28 pm

Thanks, Irene! Great to hear from you. Thanks for taking the time to read and comment. I hope you and your family are doing well and keeping safe.

Reply
Douglas Harper
4/3/2020 08:28:56 am

I want "The Occasional Skink" as my superhero name.

Reply
Rose
4/3/2020 03:24:33 pm

Done! In the Southern Hemisphere, your superhero name shall henceforth be The Occasional Skink. Now I want to read your origin story. Good to hear from you!

Reply



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    Rose Ciccarelli is an American writer and editor living in Canberra, Australia.

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