Woke up this morning to the sounds of hawks and blue jays and an occasional wood thrush. I live in Bethany in the woods.
A few minutes later I found myself in our barnyard surrounded by animals; ducks at my feet, our white cat climbing a tree, chickens scratching the dirt outside the fence, alpacas eating the leaves of a sassafras tree.
I had already gathered chicken and duck eggs, and I had crouched to feed the ducks handfuls of kibble directly into their water bowl. The male duck, Big Al, allowed the females to eat first. The alpacas love to eat green leaves, so I had enticed them to trot after me by lowering the branches of the sassafras tree so they could reach them. I always shake the branches so the rustling sound makes them come running. The alpacas’ bouncing, furry topknots made me smile.
The ducks are on to dessert finding slugs to eat underneath the wet hay. The alpacas, Alfie and Dave, are exhaling in my face; their breath has the sweet smell of root beer.
What could be better than this? Having all of this and more at Rocky Corner Cohousing.
At Rocky Corner I could have cooked my eggs with others in the common house, taught someone how to identify a sassafras tree from its mitten-shaped leaves, found a helper for mucking out the barn. I could have waved to neighbors commuting to work together and other friends weeding the vegetables before the heat of the day arrives.
Community and nature together; nothing could be better than that for me.
Marie Pulito – Member of Rocky Corner cohousing