Today, after finishing up another batch of fabric masks, I took a drive in my car. Individual family members have been periodically doing this to get out of the house and make sure our cars stay in working order. There are five of us home and we have four working vehicles.
I don’t mind driving. So today, I covered some country roads to check out the greening of our region. The grass in our yard is extremely green and the trees have started to leaf out. The county roads, mostly named by letters, wind through farmlands in the Driftless Area of Wisconsin. Our region is named such because when the glaciers moved through this part of the country during the last ice age, they did not move over our landscape. Thus, we are left with winding roads and verdant valleys, all traversing hilly terrain. It is a beautiful place to live! There are also many working farms dotting the fields.
I headed out “D” continuing by taking a left into the more remote areas of our county. County Road “D” loops around to County Road “W.” I passed many family farms whose fields have already been plowed for spring planting. The dry, brown dirt formed a contrast with the bright, almost chartreuse green of the newly sprouted leaves and grass.
The roads were quiet and beckoned my attention as my car wound its way through the hills outside our town. I saw a few people doing yard work, one whom waved at me as I passed, although we did not know one another. It is the midwestern way to be friendly and welcoming, even during a pandemic!
My car drove me to a piece of land that holds our future. There is a lot of work to be done first. Some of the work entails a stark cabin from the 1800s sitting near the road. The homestead is not a historical landmark but is interesting, in any case. We will not live in the cabin. But the land is inviting.
Trails lead up a hill to the left as you look at the scene, through woods dotted with shagbark hickory, oak, birch, and aspen groves. The woods will remain. We intend to work around them and not destroy the towering and majestic native inhabitants. Once at the top of the trail, there is a wide-open prairie. It is peaceful and rejuvenating all at the same time.
The green is what I like the best. It signifies new life, new growth, nourishment, and vibrancy. These are the thoughts that filled my drive today through the magical land we live in called the Driftless Area of Wisconsin.
The Apples in My Orchard 