Persistence of Vision

The only problem with having vision is that reality can take a lot longer to catch up.

There has been a goal for this property since moving here almost 10 years ago, in the Spring of 2016. The snow was melting off the shabby red house and the five acres hugging the Lamprey river were relatively unknown. The three buildings on the property were oriented to one another across what could eventually be a garden courtyard, with the half-circle driveway continuing through it and sheltered by the prominent maples flanking the center view. There could be outdoor living space sprinkled throughout: areas that were both intimate and defined while retaining expansive views through the length of the property, allowing the sense of comfort and connectedness.

The light through the property has always been the biggest joy. There are no other homes to the east, south or west. The old towering trees are at a lower elevation from the buildings, and to the south, allowing the light to filter through onto the lawn with ever changing beams of light throughout the day.

The lower elevations encapsulate swales and small islands where stands of maple, hemlock, white pine, oak, beech and a few birch reside. There is a small stream about 18” wide and a foot or two deep with a sandy bottom meandering through the wooded acreage. There are a few areas with dead log pile up which was a result of the flood of 2015. The river bank is knitted together with the roots of hundred year old trees, making for a springy footpath that follows the Lamprey for a mile before opening into the trail system among fields, and neighboring vineyard and adjacent woodlots.

The forest floor is covered with winterberries that the kids love to forage. Mushrooms are abundant along with forest shrubs, wild grapes, and in the spring a bountiful creek dwelling Symplocarpus foetidus, otherwise known as skunk cabbage. There is a large stand of Japanese Knotweed on the south edge of the eastern meadow, as the lawn fades into the woods. While invasive, we do appreciate this plant for its lovely tender shoots in the Spring which we like to eat, and its leaves for making tea. I have tried to eradicate this patch (nearly setting fire to the farmhouse when trying to burn it) but after all the years we’ve decided that mitigation of spread is the goal.

The property as a whole is dynamic and provides many areas for visual beauty and quiet contemplation. There is space to grow and appreciate the nuance of the land, observing how it changes with every season. We have the opportunity to turn the shabby lot and buildings into areas of beauty - with a persistence of vision.