Almost long ago and not so far away in the wilds of Durham, a husband and wife dreamed. It was an exciting time in their land. The people were waking. Many were talking about birthing a new culture. An inclusive and equitable culture. A sustainable culture, built for the seven generations to come. A culture in which time, health, and knowledge would be the true luxury goods. Clean water, food, and shelter its riches. Promise glimmered as the people looked with new eyes.
And so it was, in this exciting time, in their dooryard in the wilds of Durham, that a husband and wife dreamed, and began to follow the promise of the glow. Step by step, they took simple actions to transform their land. They permitted a forest to flourish on their property’s edges, seeded clover instead of fescue, installed a honeybee hive, tended a kitchen garden, worked up firewood.
They watched in amazement as their yard filled with life from all the realms—green vegetable and floral beings of countless variety, birds, butterflies, bees, grasshoppers, spiders, dragonflies, praying mantis, moths, trees, mud, skinks, squirrels, turtles, voles, snakes, rabbits, deer, fox, faeries, spirits of the land, two very curious little boys, and a ground hog named Murray.
As the husband and wife began to truly use their 43,560 square feet in the wilds of Durham, they noticed a remarkable by-product. Sure, they had firewood for heating, flowers for beauty, animals and insects to keep them company, and delicious veggies to eat. Those they expected. What they never dreamed would happen, is that their acre grew. Yes, with every new enterprise, they watched as their dooryard got bigger.
They had set out to get smaller and lo and behold, they had gotten bigger. Now this, this was exciting stuff of the delectable paradox variety. Could this be their simple offering to the new culture: to help other families be in a different relationship with their American acre? What would happen if they hung a humble shingle like in the villages of old? Grateful Trees and Bees: Tree Care, Beekeeping, and Garden Installations. Would they be able to build sustainable and meaningful employment? Would their children eat?
Over a decade later, as with most fairy tales, the answers were yes, some maddening maybes, and some decisive nos. Lest ye fear, the children ate, and were not, as is the way with most fairy tales, eaten. And there were beehives tended, and gardens installed, and trees given loving care. But over time, as the husband and wife worked, they learned a valuable lesson: that in the new culture, we may not have it all together, but together we have it all.
The bees and gardens being held so beautifully by others, they decided to focus on their strengths: trees and words. And so it was, and so it is, and so it will be. Almost long ago, and not so far away in the wilds of Durham, a husband and wife work for the love of trees.
