I spent a few hours today cutting palmettos and grapevines as I opened up another area of the yard. Since the tree cutters came and changed the landscape here, I’ve taken the opportunity to make some changes of my own.  I usually let the natural trails in my woods grow over during the summer and starting cutting them as the weather cools.  I like a winding path to the firepit, and I re-route grapevines to create walls for privacy. The neighbor behind me used to have a real attitude about my yard being so wild.  He didn’t like the wildlife that came out of the woods, nor the mulberry and loquat trees that they fed from. He was rude and vocal. I let my yard grow wild so I didn’t have to see his house or garage. The past few years he’s been quiet, so I’ve slowly been opening the yard back up, cutting back the palmettos that border the property and run all through it.  I like to keep it wild so it’s a nature corridor for the wildlife. We’ve got all kinds here.  They lived here before I did, so it’s only fair. I feel I’ve got twice as much property as I had last week. I’m already planning where to place the tent and chiminea for those cool autumn nights when I want to pretend I’m in the deep woods.