Nurtured by Nature: Remembering a Back-to-the-Land Childhood
(Page 4 of 5)
December 2008/January 2009
By Liz Stuart
Close Encounters of the Wild Kind
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Growing up in the country also meant frequent sightings of wild animals. Deer were as common as squirrels. Seasons were marked by changes in bird song. And hearing four different packs of coyotes howling at night was not unusual. Mountain lions lived in the area, but they are elusive creatures, and we usually saw only their tracks and scat. We shared the property with at least one black bear every year, and a couple times one came onto our porch. Usually it was second nature to store fruit inside the house rather than on the screened-in front porch, but we forgot once or twice. Most memorable was the night when a box of apples on the porch led a bear to stealthily lacerate the screen wall with its claws and clamber in for a snack. Somehow it maneuvered so quietly that none of us knew anything about it until morning.
Regular exposure to wildlife enabled our family to achieve that which is rare and extremely valuable: a sense of awe and cautious respect for animals commonly portrayed as dangerous predators. I had sometimes envisioned bears leaping out of the woods and eating me whole, but the first time I saw one while alone, my initial thought was how lucky I was to experience the moment.
Looking Back, and Forward
Today I live in a friendly, nature-oriented city. I love Portland, but it’s a long way from the woods near Newport in many ways. Here, 450 miles away, I sometimes have trouble seeing myself as the grubby, small-town girl I was while growing up. After six years in Portland, I have adapted to life as a social worker who commutes by bike and public transit and enjoys living in the city.
But while I thrive on city life and all it offers, I try to find ways to cling to the lifestyle I had with my parents. I compost, plant a garden when I am able, and get out of town to hike and camp as much as possible. I go back to Newport every few months, and when I do, I feel a deep peace and satisfaction I will never achieve living in a metropolitan area.
I had to move away from everything familiar to realize how much I valued those things. When I went to college and found myself surrounded by city kids, I was set apart by being from the boondocks. Most of my classmates regarded all of eastern Washington as the backwoods. So when I told them about the log house, composting toilet, bucket shower and no TV, it got some attention and helped me feel unique. I still get a little nostalgic thinking about washing my hair in a bucket, heating bricks on the woodstove to warm my feet on winter nights, and going outside to get to the toilet. I now know I was blessed to have the privilege of seeing the stars and moon on my way to the bathroom every night of my first 18 years.
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