Thirteen years ago, on November 14, 2010, I snapped a few blurry Blackberry photographs (remember those?) of Susan and our Labrador retriever, Griffin. The snapshots were taken beyond the barns, looking west over the meadows we were recovering after decades forgotten, feral, and overgrown.
Griffin thoroughly enjoyed jumping into the small bed for a cruise around the property to inspect Rosslyn’s fields and trails. He took his work seriously, standing at attention, observing everything, keenly looking out for wildlife.
The brush piles and culvert offer subtle testament to the transformation under way in these early years. Although there are still plenty of projects underway on Rosslyn’s backland, it’s easy to forget how far these grounds have come. Today they’re thriving and teeming with wildlife. Patchwork meadows and cross-country / snowshoe trails weave through woods, cross meadows, and skirt the banks of Library Brook.
This final snapshot, less blurry than the first two, transports me back to these early years. Each season, every day s new adventure. Our perennially punch lists were growing rather than shrinking, but we were forging ahead, creating a home, our home.
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