What's Outside My Window

When we bought this house 15 years ago, we were looking ahead to where we are now -- aging in place, at 70 and 76. 

The front door is level with the walkway leading up to it, and the main floor has an open plan kitchen/dining area/living room, with a view that gives us endless pleasure. Our large bedroom is adjacent to the living room, and has a big window looking out on this same view of deciduous and evergreen trees (Phil's WOMW entry). We replaced the bathtub in the ensuite bathroom a few years ago with a tiled walk-in shower, upping the house's "age in place" assets. 

When we think about moving to a smaller place or senior housing, what will be one of the hardest things to give up is this endlessly changing, endlessly delightful view into the natural world beyond us.  

The land directly behind us is a "greenbelt" and cannot be built on, so we have a vue imprenable, as the French would say. As more and more houses are built in this area, such protected land becomes increasingly more important to the local wildlife. I've learned so much about the birds around us, as well as the local squirrels, chipmunks, and rabbits -- and the deer that wander through our neighborhood occasionally. Living less than a mile from Lake Padden Park and its delights is a bonus!

The solace of seeing the natural world up close on a daily basis is even more essential as an alternative to the 24/7 noise of endless news, little of it likely to be comforting or inspiring.

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