Settling in

With my moving date now a couple of weeks behind me followed by a period of unpacking that I can only describe as "epic" (and still ongoing), I'm settling in to my new home. Life in a more compact space in a more urban setting is different and there will always be things about my previous home and neighbourhood that I will miss - my garden, my neighbours, my favourite walks with Lily, my roomy studio. However there are a lot of pluses about this new life, and there is one in particular that is an absolute delight.

Only steps from our doorstep Lily and I have discovered a pathway into glorious green-belt of big trees.

 It's alive with birds and wildflowers and bunnies.

 

There is a trickling stream and a secluded pond.

There are winding trails to explore, and even though we're just a stone's throw from the balconies and patios of adjacent homes it feels like we're in a forest which, in fact, we are - an urban forest.

It's a place where a small black dog can chase a ball.

Suspended in a tree, reminiscent of George Sawchuck, a skeletal plane drifts in the breeze.

A snug birdhouse offers refuge and ample berries provide food for feathered creatures.

 

 

To date I have seen goldfinches, various sparrows, flickers, hummingbirds, loads of robins who sing enthusiastically, chickadees, towhees, grosbeaks, juncos, bushtits, waxwings and other songbirds. I have heard tapping and observed the work of what looks like that of a pileated woodpecker.

And at night, to my profound delight, I have been serenaded by the voices of barred owls. When I first heard them I could hardly believe my ears. It felt like I was being welcomed home - a good omen for the life I will make in this new space.

It feels like a gift to have found this place - a compact, modern abode with a separate studio space (more unpacking!), a small yard for Lily, and a forest on our doorstep.

And housecat Hugo has also found new ways to entertain himself.

For now, the unpacking continues. We are settling in.