We finally reached the end of July and closed on our acreage. We signed the papers and received the keys. It was ours! The next day we arrived with two minivan loads of stuff, prioritizing what to bring for the first weekend. Food, table, chairs, music, tools, our most important camping equipment, bedding, clothes, and a few adult beverages. We got to thinking what to bring up the next time, making a list of what we were lacking. This list making continued for several weeks until we had most all of the essentials we needed to run a household. As we walked around our property the first few times it was as if in a dream, cliched but true. We counted 130 trees, the majority of them white willows. Beans were planted around three sides of the adjoining fields, with corn to the south. We could see other clusters of trees on the horizon, indicating other acreages or farmsteads. A wind farm of dozens of turbines stood miles off to our southeast, and at night the red lights mounted on top of them would blink in a synchronous rhythm. Relaxing on our back porch, taking in all the sights and sounds, left us with little to say as the reality of finally reaching our goal began to set in. The most we could do is look at each other, shake our heads, and smile.
Off The Back Porch 