Landed

Kids just love the outdoors.

Twenty-seven hilly acres of sandy soil in Hampshire County, West Virginia. Huckleberries, white and chestnut oak, Virginia and Scotch pine, sassafras, hickory and honey locust. Big boulders and wet-weather creeks. Deer and turkey sign everywhere.

After many years of dreaming about it, Karin and I finally have a place to release our kids into the woods. It’s quiet there, except for the phoebe, great-crested flycatcher, chipping sparrow, pileated woodpecker, and Carolina chickadee calls – and the incessant, insistent voices of the whip-poor-wills in the evening and early morning. The house on the property is very nice, came with a cappuccino machine and has a mountain view.

The kids have already constructed a lean-to against some boulders and dammed-up a creek to make a swimming hole. My first projects are to sow native wildflower seeds over the septic drainfield, and pick out a couple trees for next season’s deer stand.

The dogges are loving the place. Nos takes particular joy in clambering up boulders to survey her new domain, Stella is excited about the infinite variety of things she can get her nose into.

The habitat looks bearish (huckleberries galore, natch), neighbors have reported seeing el bruno, but I haven’t noticed sign. No bear season in Hampshire County, but one in nearby Hardy.

On a morning walk this past weekend, I bumped a whip-poor-will. She only flew 10 feet from me, perching on a fallen log. I stared at her for a bit, then looked for her nest. I found two eggs laid on bare ground to my right. I retreated and walked back to the house to make myself a cappuccino.

Sibley’s guide says whip-poor-will chicks can fly off into the woods within ten days of hatching.

Cool.