Walking thru the woods..

Walking thru the woods..

As a kid, I lived in R.I.  not much for woods for hiking and exploring as Idaho is.. but explored we did..   There was a park at the end of the street  where I lived.. We were all over that place.. And some of it was funny. As I took my teen age kids there when we return for 4 years.. I took them to the park so they could see where my friends and I went to play.  And I showed them the “cave” we would hide in..  Well that CAVE was about 18 inches deep..  What a wild imagination  we had… lol..

At the age of about 24, my husband I left San Diego California and moved to his home town of Kelso, Washington.  LOTS OF WOODS..  Most of it in the area was owned by Weyerhaeuser Lumber.  But the kids and I walked thru the woods.. In fact one of the areas was up on the mountain by Mt. St. Helen’s. And we came across a man called Truman..  who later it was reported he died in the blowing of Mr. St. Helen..   No one had a problem about the kids and I exploring the woods..  Men hunted in it all the time. 

Later we moved to Cle Elum, Washington.. and behind us was the WOODS.. and we explored and also would go get our Christmas tree each year… IN THE WOODS.. Same thing in Ellensburg, Washington. Cooke Canyon area.. we would drive up so the kids could see the different animals..  my husband would whistle and the bird would puff out their chest. The kids loved it.. We would come across broken down cabins.. and rail fencing for animals and etc.. abandon.

Next up is Idaho.. We moved to Priest River and its out reach areas, which was surrounded with WOODS..   My husband and his friends and later our son’s would go to the WOODS to hunt.  One area was just a half a mile down the road.   Later those area’s were sold to people who built houses..  So no more hunting.. 

Recently, a friend who was hiking in the woods with her child..  came across a OLD house..  with no glass in the windows.. and it was empty,  the house was in disarray.. So I went on Facebook to ask if anyone knew the history of the house. It look like it was built around the 60’s or 70’s.. during hippie times..  Where a lot of hippies would head to the woods and build a place..   Some times they bought the land .. some times not.   It just was the way it was in those days. No harm done.. 

Yes, we all know that ALL LAND IS OWNED.. Some by the Federal government.. some by the state.. some by long time gone residents and abandon.  Some look at from time to time by the owners..  sometimes years.   But no one makes a big deal of people hiking thru it.  99% of those are respectful of the property..   Some take the down trees that are rotting and use it for their homes to keep it warm.   No one complains.. 

AT LEAST THEY DIDN’T USE TO…

On face book there was a picture put up of what I call the hippie looking house..  and I asked if anyone had any idea of the history.  Now the pictures show no damage done.  Just looking and taking pictures..  And no it was not me.. it is not important who…  There was a very few who know anything about it.  One lady who has a great deal of knowledge about the area, did answer and gave us the run down. Artist built it in the 60 and left.. came back in the 70’s and never came back.   They also reported that some one bought the land that the house sits over a creek …  And then the naysayers came in.. with staying off others property..  and how when it was explain that the people who saw it and took the pictures did not disturb anything and treated with respect…  as they left..   Which some one made a snide remark about “”how saying treating it with respect” was how they justified going on to someone else’s property..  Well, the creek is consider EVERYONE’S LAND.. so they were not trespassing. 

It just got to me.. how nasty and territorial  those who did not own the land got..   As far as I am concerned… if you are that way.. then maybe.. you should but up a fence around YOUR WOODS.. 

God I am glad I grew up when I did..