One of my favourite places on the entire homestead is in my forest. I've cleaned it up over the years, added a trail, and made a clearing for a future cabin. It took hard work. But it's been some of the most pleasurable work I can think of. Having a small woodlot is a very … Continue reading Managing a Woodlot
Tag: independence
Rustication & Parenthood
Robert Collins "In nature, a child finds freedom, fantasy, and privacy: a place distant from the adult world, a separate peace." Richard Louv, Last Child in the Woods When I swapped city for countryside I was not yet a father. In fact, it was the furthest thing from my mind. I wanted to transform my … Continue reading Rustication & Parenthood
No Mortgage, No Rent: 6 Ways to Own Your Home
photo: kevin butz Wisemen tell us time and again that land belongs to no one. So when I hear people say "I own land/house in..." or "I bought/own a house" I roll my third eye. For the record, if you live in a house or upon land that you claim to "own" in a so-called … Continue reading No Mortgage, No Rent: 6 Ways to Own Your Home
Go: Build New Traditions
By Aeron Nicholas Photo by Annie Spratt Generally speaking, the land has its own traditions and customs. All of us who return to the land discover in our own time the nature of such traditions. Before this discovery can take place we must examine closely the traditions of the culture that shapes us. The secular … Continue reading Go: Build New Traditions
Aldo
By Aeron Nicholas I've always wanted to read the work of Aldo Leopold, particularly his poetic assortment of ecological writing compiled in A Sand County Almanac (1949). His words are so moving and perceptive—spiritual really. The whole idea of a "land ethic," and conservation in general as we (mis)understand it today could be traced back … Continue reading Aldo
Find the Others
By Aeron Nicholas photo credit to youssef naddam I remember coming across the "find the others" meme when I was younger. It seemed to be making its rounds on the web at the time, circa 2010. This notion of finding the others left an impression on me. It struck me as a rallying cry for … Continue reading Find the Others
Go: Build Bravery
The first instalment of this short essay series addressed what I dubbed Inner Community. Reading it back I realize I may have bitten off more than I can chew. Nevertheless, that big bite is the very mentality it takes to start a new life as a rusticator. Which leads me to take an important stopover … Continue reading Go: Build Bravery
The Politics of Rustication
American academic Harold Lasswell defined politics as "who gets what, when, how." Let's suppose Lasswell's beautifully concise definition gives us a foothold here. It would stand to reason that what we're really talking about when we use the P word is really the concept of decision-making and resources. Politics. It's a social phenomenon. Now it … Continue reading The Politics of Rustication
New Series
Some ideas are just too good to pass up. In this case, a series of writings about a linchpin in my life. A single post is not enough to insulate the reader from the electricity. I have an entire series in mind, hallelujah. It's about the land—the source of all things good. It's about the … Continue reading New Series
Nooks and Crannies
Buffered by a young wreath of poplar, silver birch, spruce, and dogwood, my family and I built a home on one hectare of field and woodland in the crook of a meadow. It's sort of like a nook, in fact. And we consider it a glade too. Farmers used to work the soil on this … Continue reading Nooks and Crannies
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