Whose yard is it anyway?

Photo by Bill Parke

 

We have lived in this house for thirty-one years--the longest time I have lived anywhere.  However, I understand that we are only the caretakers of this house and land.  Others preceded us and many more will follow. Pennsylvania (Penn's Woods) was aptly named; it was William Penn's little corner of Colonial America.  In his day, a squirrel could probably jump from tree to tree across the entire state.  Today, though, Lancaster County is largely farmland with a good share of suburbia and a small central city.

 

Our neighborhood is called Hilltop Farm for the farmland that was originally carved out of the forest.  The soil is rich and fertile.  We have a 12'x 24' backyard vegetable garden on a one-quarter acre lot, and behind our yard, our neighbors have a 5-acre plot.  Needless to say, it is a haven for wildlife, and I have to respect their right to be here as much as ours.  We like to sit on our screened-in porch and watch all the activity surrounding our two bird baths, three bird feeders, and three birdhouses.  We also have two apple trees and a peach tree that are dedicated to the wildlife.

 

The above photo shows a doe that came to visit our 4th of July weekend cookout.  Those of us who sat on the porch watched as a deer, munching on fallen apples, came closer and closer while gazing at us humans in the "cage."

 

We have a fat little ground hog living in our yard and lots of baby bunnies.  Untold numbers of chipmunks and squirrels dash about.  Frequently they dash into our garage to see if they can access the birdseed container.  Since they gnawed through two plastic containers, we now have the birdseed in a heavy-duty metal can.  I could almost hear them saying, "Hey, you're no fun!" when that appeared.

 

We have wrens living in the bird houses and robins nesting in the rhododendrons.  Blue jays and cardinals like the apple trees, and American goldfinches munch on the beet greens. Hummingbirds love the bee balm. The feeders attract finches, nuthatches, an occasional woodpecker and a pair of doves among others.

 

By now you can see that it is getting a little crowded in our small yard.  Yet it is a peaceable kingdom.  We fenced in the garden to save the veggies for us and left the fruit trees and the blueberries for the others along with a constant diet of birdseed.

 

Years from now, when we are long gone, descendants of the robins and bunnies and squirrels will still be coming to this little piece of land.  So, as we mow the lawn and tend the flower beds, I often ask myself, "Whose yard is it anyway?'