I built a strawbale cottage. The pad was only wider than four of five feet out from the foundation. I built up to conserve the space that I used. The lot is all natural. The pleasure that I have found through the years observing, interacting, appreciating with the plant and animal life has been simply amazing. It is a rich experience, diversity, seasons and changing weather patterns through years. It is a healthy place to sit. It is a place of naturism, that being defined as naked and in nature.
I mow no lawn, I trim trees and shrubs only as much as I need to function safely, it is easy to care for. Nature takes care of itself. I have taken what I need and left the rest. This works in my pristine desert environment. It is beautiful here. My neighbor has a dirt lot. It is much hotter, dusty and dirty. He has spent a great deal of money and time to put gravel where it erodes, and muds up, to plant incongruent non-native plants that he must now water so that they don't die. It is no longer fully alive, only partially. There is no ecology nor sustainability. At times most of the year I have a garden with flowers,and they have none. I have fruit.
Yea, I don't get it. Is it to conquer and claim nature. Is it to see what one owns is more and feel impressed with oneself? Why destroy what we are given.
I can't hug my trees. They don't grow that way. The guy next door has his trimmed up like big umbrellas. He could hug them,, he doesn't. He could sit under them, but doesn't. All of the life that sits under trees in my yard can no longer make use of the trees over there. The life gives solid and nourishment to the trees in my yard. His suffer. There is life all around me in abundance. I don't get it about these people.
Jbee