Nature trail, part 1

One of the main reasons we live where we do is the woods. Our property is two lots, joined together because county ordinances passed after the land was first subdivided require an acre for a septic system. The second lot is entirely wooded, and we left it completely alone the first several years we lived here — a buffer between us and our neighbors, nothing more. In the fall of 2007 my wife decided to start cutting a nature trail through the woods for our daughter, who was then four. After about 100 yards I took over and did most of the rest of the work. The trail starts just off our driveway and makes a big loop through the woods.

About the time we were starting the project, a sparrow flew into the window of our car just as I opened the door to get in. It fell dead to the ground, its neck broken by the impact. My daughter, who was sitting inside the car, was terribly upset, and she helped me bury the bird in the woods by the start of the trail. In the bird’s honor she thought the trail should be named Sparrow Trail, and the sign made it official.

In the photo you can see, through the trees, the road, which is about twenty feet from the start of the trail. Nowhere on our property is more than a literal stone’s throw from the border, but once you are down onto the trail, the neighbors feel much farther away.