There's a greenbelt behind my parents' property. It's a surprise it hasn't been developed yet and I'm hoping it remains this way, even if in the end, it will likely turn out to be a pipe dream. The forest as my childhood friends and I called it would be where we built our forts and climbed trees. Our city lots didn't provide enough space to contain our energy. It's hilly, bumpy, with hidden pitfalls and mud traps. It's a good way to learn how to walk quickly but move securely. In a fit of nostalgia, I took a machete to clear a path through to see the old paths we used to travel and while I walked, the shape of the land hasn't changed much and felt warmly familiar but the trees we used to climb seem smaller and many of the old deertrails we used to run have fallen into disrepair or have been blocked by windfalls.

This image is looking back through a passage cut through a thicket of salmonberry bushes towards my parents' fence.