After the fall

The loss of the big old maple tree changed the appearance of the garden drastically.

It took time adjusting to the great gap it left. Every time I drove up to the house, it took my breath away because I’d loved that tree.

But within months all sorts of new growth became evident. Under a window of the suites, I had a show of forget-me-nots which seemed appropriate.

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They did not last, however as ferns overgrew them. The hill abutting the house was covered in ivy, ferns and nettles, which was fortunate as I think they held the slope together.

Sometimes I attempted to remove the nettles, staggering about on the hill as I caught my foot in roots and ruts. If anyone was watching they must have thought I drank a lot. More than once I took a nose dive as I pursued that hopeless task, yet it was a form of exercise and perhaps it was a way of recovering function that I’d lost with spine surgery.

It was when I perfected the art of falling without hurting.

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There were problems with the patio behind the house, due to subsidence and water run-off from the hill. Grant dug a French drain which was a help, but it remained a concern that eventually helped persuade me to sell the place.

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This was the first time I’d had my own garden. I believe even my mother would have found it a challenge, so thick and unyielding were the weeds. A few heathers were persuaded to grow and I planted hostas, but they were devoured by slugs. My mother had spent her life fighting such creatures, but I could not.

They were many and huge. When it rained, they covered the patio and back steps and I always took care not to step on them. I befriended them. Mother would have thought me mad.

At least I had success with the clematis that thrived on the front fence.

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When I wasn’t running after cats, or cavorting about on the hill, I enjoyed other friends.

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Until I lived in that house, I’d never seen a possum except in pictures. I was enchanted, especially when I saw mom transporting her numerous babies.

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Mom went to grab a snack from the feeding station on the hill as Dad patiently waited.

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Raccoons provided endless entertainment and they could be quite cheeky.

One day I took out a bag of feed to do a top up and a raccoon snatched it right out of my hand. One has to be careful of feeding wildlife. The feeder was away from the house and we offered small amounts as a token. So much of their habitat being stolen, I felt we owed it to them.

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The original Little Red was a Douglas squirrel, a West Coast cousin, perhaps.

Equally cute.

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Regret is pointless, but I do wish I’d become keen on photography much sooner. The garden of that house attracted many birds, towhees, grosbeaks, Skyler’s Jays and lots of woodpeckers, but I only I have one picture of this magnificent creature. We saw them often.

In 7 years here we’ve seen just one, while out driving.

Two thicknesses of screens did not improve the image, but you can appreciate the beak, the feet and the wonderful crest.

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One other bird was a much more rare visitor. In fact I only saw it twice, managing once to capture an out-of-focus photo before it rushed off. I believe this is called Valley quail. I have a particular fondness for these neat little birds.

The day before we were due to depart for our new home in New York, I said how nice it would be if the quail came by to bid us farewell.

Not many minutes later, I was looking out a window at the front of the house and was astonished to see a quail walking down the middle of the road.

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So, it was not just cats. And there were the bunnies too. Sadly, rabbits have short lives. As Joely grew to be a very old bunny, he went to the edge a number of times, on each occasion deciding that he wasn’t quite ready to go, but of course the inevitable day finally came.

Little Macy was not much younger than Joely. I debated getting her another buddy, but with the future somewhat uncertain, I decided against it, instead moving her from the big room so she would be in close proximity to me all the time. She seemed happy in her smaller pen where the cats visited frequently and I made a point of spending time with her. We became quite close and I will always be grateful to have known those two sweet creatures.

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