After several years, we’re still exploring our acreage in northeastern Oregon. We’ve vaguely named some places through habitual reference: The Rocky Knoll, The Frog Pond. But there are other special places we just call “sweet spots.” Somehow, from the context and with a gesture and description of the general location — “that sweet spot up the hill” — Jerry and I know between us exactly which spot we mean.
They’re places that bring us to a stop on our walks, cause us to linger, sit, look at a view, turn around and grope for profound words, for poetry. But usually, we end up sputtering out cliches: wow, oh my god, it’s so beautiful, what a sweet spot.
I’ve been trying to figure out what makes these spots so special compared to a spot ten feet away. A particular arrangement of trees? The slope of the land, The play of light? I don’t have many words yet (and am too busy this cold, wet spring putting in a garden to try to find them now), so I thought I’d share some photos of one our our favorites — that sweet spot up the hill — and post on others later, when I have more time.
View from the edge
It’s a stunning view from this spot and a somewhat different perspective than we have from our yurt of Lost Prairie with the Grande Ronde canyon and the Wenaha Tucannonon Wilderness in the Blue Mountains beyond. But we get a similar view from other places.
View through the pines
Perhaps it feels so sweet because of what’s underneath and behind the viewpoint: a rocky outcropping and a relatively flat bench with an open canopy of ponderosa pines, carpeted this time of year with lupine and other wildflowers. And then there’s the rim rock rising behind us, just visible through the pines.
Pines and lupine
It’s such a lovely spot that even a downed tree (which we have plenty of in other places) becomes artful.
Downed tree
More sweet spots to come….
and sometimes sweet spots don’t exactly come by their names because of what we see. close your eyes up there and i bet it is still sweet. looking forward to hearing more…
sherry o’keefe
Excellent point, Sherry. I’ll give it a try. And sometimes any spot can become sweet because of some wonderful scent wafting by or a bird trilling.
I really like this – that last image is spot on. So much makes up the sweet spots, but what defines them seems to be indefinable.
By the way, I really like this whole blog! Please keep on sharing.
Thanks, Martin. I’m falling a bit behind on my blogging aspirations as I try to finish a book and get a farm going, but I’ll try.
I love the photos of your “sweet spots”. My husband and I have 48 acres in northeast Washington and I can relate to your experience since we have discovered some special places that we particularly enjoy on our land, too.
Thank you, Vicki. I’ve been meaning to write about other such spots, but summer has gotten away from me this year. I’d love to hear more about the special places you’ve discovered on your place. I is one of the continuing pleasures of living on acreage.