Journeys

Life, death, growth, change we've had everything thrown at us in the last three years since we got married, maybe this is just how life is but I am sure we have had a rougher ride than most at our age.  

Because of the rollercoster ride we decided early on that life was too short to pass up opportunities, hence why we bought our patch of mud.  We are not millionaires, we do not have massive amounts of savings and we have not yet made a killing in investment property.  I did have some shares tucked away and we are both lucky that we work for an organisation that pays well, although of course it demands a lot in return. 

This is why I do not feel guilty when I write about our adventures on the land.  This is our time.  I know how fortunate we are but we have made sacrifices and we have experienced loss, in fact we are still going through a very tough time with Woodys dad who is struggling with life and the effects of treatment to cure his blood disorder, as I write this things do not look good.

Woodys dad, David on the digger spring 2015
before the transplant that we thought would fix him 

Woody and I both love being outdoors and felt a calling to own something wild and in need of work.  We looked at beautiful hundred year old wrecks of houses with land, in wild Welsh places that were far removed from any transport links or "civilisation".  But without the possibility of me getting local, well paid work (while Woody worked away) it was unsustainable.  These big dreams are all very well if you have a large amount of capital to start with but I sold my last property without a profit and we have been renting ever since so we were back to square one.

 One of many house hunting trips in Pembrokeshire with Woody and David in 2013.

We have had our mud patch 18 months now and have just completed on the purchase of our first little house not far from the land.  One day we might get lucky again and upgrade to a more rural smallholding but all the work we are undertaking on our 8little acres is a great place to start.

The journey so far has allowed us to gain experience and confidence, try out all our knowledge about land management that we had never been able to put into practice before.  It has been a hell of a journey so far combined with everything else going on.  The land has led us to new friends, new possibilities and although it is sometimes unimaginably depressing when the sideways rain is lashing at you it gives you something to carry on going for, something we can make better and fix when we cannot fix the ones we love.

Woodys mum & dad, Shirley and David, July 2013

Someone once said that some people's fate is tied to the land, as some are tied to the sea or skies with the adventures they undertake.  Our fate may be tied to our land and I think it is firmly a part of "us", it will remain here long after we are gone and if we do a good enough job it will keep telling our story.

Fingers crossed for a happy ending.