Hidden in Suburbia 2011 (Part Eight): Secret Meadow
July 24, 2011 5 Comments
The largest undeveloped parcel of land within my Hidden in Suburbia range has long eluded me, as its perimeters are rendered formidable for three reasons:
- A good portion of its boundaries are defined by bogs and swamps that are beyond Trusty Steed’s capabilities.
- Most of the non-aquatic segments of its boundaries are blocked from easy road access by houses, fences, and backyards, through which I generally don’t pass.
- The owners have done a particularly fine job of properly signing its boundaries with “Posted” and “No Trespassing” signs, which I don’t cross, so long as they’re clearly presented and obvious.
I’ve done a lot of research trying to figure out how to get into the heart of what I’ve come to call The Secret Meadow, and have generally been foiled, time and time again. Until this week, when a low-expectation push from the east revealed an incredible network of large trails that are completely invisible to Google Maps and Google Earth due to rich, full, over-hanging foliage. While the aforementioned signage issue stymied me in the end, I actually got deeper into The Secret Meadow than I’d ever been before, and I was awed by what a beautiful piece of property it is, right smack in the middle of deepest, darkest suburbia, where you’d never expect to find it.
For your own peak into The Secret Meadow, click the photo below for the narrated version of this installment, or click here to see the wordless slideshow.
Part One of This Series is Available Here
Part Two of This Series is Available Here
Part Three of This Series is Available Here
Part Four of This Series is Available Here
Part Five of This Series is Available Here
About J. Eric Smith
Just love this whole series. Well done, J. Eric Smith.
Thanks, Mellie . . . they’re fun to ride, shoot, and write about, so glad someone else enjoys them, too!!
Given its location and upkeep, I’m thinking there must be some ritual sacrifice reason for such a pristine patch.
the wind blows round the standing stone
rich with the fragrance of her spells
inside a circle drawn with bone
she dances wrapped in veils and bells
ash maidens hum their ancient drone
naiads emerge from empty wells
the wind blows round the standing stone
rich with the fragrance of her spells
tied to the rock I weep and moan
drawn here by her sensuous smells
trespassing through their sacred dells
a sin for which I must atone
the wind blows round the standing stone
rich with the fragrance of her spells
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