Yesterday I chose what will now be known as my second sector. This spot takes me deeper into the woods than my first, about a hundred yards from the end of my lawn. Though it’s a heavily wooded area, the trees have not yet reached full foliage; I could still see my dog patiently seated where the lawn ends. His invisible fence prevented him from coming any closer, but it didn’t stop him from keeping a watchful eye from a distance. Squirrels and chipmunks seemed to find me much more approachable without a fierce little bulldog by my side, some scrambling up trees just feet from where I was seated. Birds fluttered above me – tomorrow I will return and try to identify them with the help of today’s bird lesson. The trees blocked out the sky above my head, much of the direct sunlight stopping at the leafy canopy. Nonetheless, the dappled rays of light and ever-growing greenery painted a prettier picture than I’d ever imagine could come from my backyard.
Choosing my sector was the first time I had been that deep into the woods on my property in years. I grew up with these same woods, so returning flooded my mind with fond memories of “explorations” with my brother when we were much younger. We would venture into the forest fearlessly, fighting off thorn bushes and poison ivy as we went along. We flipped every stone and peeked into every hole, hoping to uncover all sorts of critters living there. My brother always had a small bucket in tow, complete with a small layer of dirt and a rock that would serve as a temporary home for any creature we came across. At the end of the day, we would return to the house and proudly showcase our findings to our parents. Most often, it would be a wriggling salamander or a lumpy toad. One time we came across a large black rat snake behind the pond, though neither of us had the courage to approach it. It wouldn’t have fit in the bucket comfortably, anyway.
As I continued to explore the extent of my new sector, a rock path led me to a small wooden structure with an open front (an “Adirondack,” as I learned today). It rose about ten feet high, with slated wooden walls and a tiled roof that extended just over the front opening. Complete with two Adirondack chairs and encompassed by a circle of stones, it was almost just as I had left it years before. My brother and I had discovered the Adirondack years ago on one of our explorations. The discovery was more exciting than any salamander or toad, and for once we rushed excitedly back to the house with an empty bucket. With some not-so-gentle persuasion, we urged our parents to come and see what we had found. Though they may have feigned excitement at every bucket finding we brought back to them, I still think that this discovery genuinely took them by surprise. The Adirondack sat unbeknownst to us for all seven years we had been living there; it seemed that it was only discoverable to the most adventurous of elementary-school kids. Nobody knew where it came from or to whom it belonged.
It sits in that same place now, just on the outskirts of my property so that it could have belonged to the previous owners of my house, the adjacent neighbors, or even the house behind mine. Sometimes I wonder if anyone else has paid the little Adirondack a visit since my family. At some point, a tree had come crashing down on the roof that was once accessible by ladder; but other than that, it appeared to have been untouched for several years. Though I was not filled with the same exhilaration as I had almost eight years ago, my initial approach yesterday did fill me with a sense of intrigue. Even as I’ve gotten older, the mysterious Adirondack presents me with more questions than I have answers.
P.S. If anybody knows how to fix this image please comment because it has been happening whenever I try to upload a photo. Thanks!!
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