The Shed

About twice a year I spend several weeks at the Shed on family land in Wisconsin. My ancestors bought the land from the loggers who stripped the virgin timber in the mid-1800's, who had assumed land ownership over the native population when Wisconsin became a state in 1848.

The Shed is off-grid. Last year it became water-sufficient with the addition of gutters and barrels to collect rain water. I worked with a neighbor to plant several prairie plots, mature this year. This same kind neighbor mows the open fields as well as inside the tree nursery. The place has a wildness to it - 6 and 7' tall eupatorium and iron weed bend with dew and rain.

This visit I mapped the tree nursery. It contains over 100 plantings from fruiting bushes (highbush cranberry, service berry, +) to fir trees. Gaining height now, the white pines and spruces reach above 12 and 15'. I fenced the nursery more than a dozen years ago to prevent deer browsing. Mercifully the prairie plants long ago developed mechanisms to discourage large animal consumption. Their products are for the birds, bees, butterflies and amphibians. Every visit I'm delighted to see their numbers swelling. 4 hummingbirds flitted, fought and fed during this recent visit.