Life in the Country

I am a country mouse at heart. I currently live in a 100 year old house on a few acres in Northern Virginia, near the Shenandoah Valley, and I love it.

After supper last night, Charlie and I took my dog Zoe for a walk up and down the lane in front of our house. Along the way, we stopped to admire a gorgeous orange and green box turtle. The turtle, of course, recoiled at the sight of us, and she was none too pleased when Zoe left a wet nose print on her mottled shell. A few minutes later we saw a deer loping along the edge of our yard, near the tree line. And, as dusk fell, the yard lit up with a visual symphony of fireflies.

Almost every day here brings some new discovery: a new plant I have never noticed, or an interesting creature I have never seen before. Every night this week two long-legged albino spiders have appeared on my screen door. I think they are called cellar spiders. And, when I stay up late reading, our resident fox keeps me company, whining in the yard like a petulant child.

Just this morning, on my way to the mailbox, I was excited to find we have a ripening Mulberry tree dropping its dark, tangy fruit all over the ground. I immediately grabbed the camera to get a few shots of the berries.

It's just so nice to be able to live so close to nature, and to be able to take the time to enjoy it. While I could certainly do without some of the more annoying and gross bugs we have around here, and our house has some old-house-quirks that are less than charming, I have to conclude that this is such a lovely, inspiring place to live and to write!