WEBVTT 1 00:00:01.399 --> 00:00:06.519 It's Maria's MutS and Stuff. What a great idea on iHeartRadio. 2 00:00:11.240 --> 00:00:13.519 Welcome to Maria's Mutts and Stuff and with me. I'm 3 00:00:13.560 --> 00:00:17.519 so I'm so thrilled. It is author Paula Wyman, and 4 00:00:17.719 --> 00:00:22.399 her latest book, which just came out, is The Bad Naturalist. So, Paula, 5 00:00:22.480 --> 00:00:24.440 thank you so much for I can't wait to talk 6 00:00:24.480 --> 00:00:25.519 to you about this book. 7 00:00:26.800 --> 00:00:28.480 Oh, thank you so much for having me. 8 00:00:28.920 --> 00:00:31.559 Absolutely so Okay, So the premise of the book is 9 00:00:31.559 --> 00:00:36.840 that you decided to buy a two hundred acre mountaintop 10 00:00:37.399 --> 00:00:38.960 to eventually live there. 11 00:00:40.399 --> 00:00:42.000 What made you decide to do that? 12 00:00:43.759 --> 00:00:47.759 Well, I'll tell you what. I was always really very 13 00:00:47.799 --> 00:00:52.520 attached to nature as a kid. I was always into insects, 14 00:00:52.560 --> 00:00:56.439 you know, turning over rocks, collecting insects and bughouses and 15 00:00:56.479 --> 00:01:02.920 watching them, and continued my passion for the natural world 16 00:01:02.920 --> 00:01:03.840 throughout my life. 17 00:01:04.400 --> 00:01:04.920 And just. 18 00:01:06.359 --> 00:01:09.799 Several years ago, my husband and I had been we 19 00:01:09.879 --> 00:01:13.120 had been wanting for a long time to move out 20 00:01:13.200 --> 00:01:17.079 to the country to get a small farmhouse, and I 21 00:01:17.120 --> 00:01:20.799 wanted to raise sheep, and so we were looking for 22 00:01:20.840 --> 00:01:24.560 a place for a very long time. And during that 23 00:01:24.760 --> 00:01:29.319 process I was continuing to read about conservation and about 24 00:01:29.319 --> 00:01:33.159 just different aspects of nature. I tend to get obsessed 25 00:01:33.159 --> 00:01:37.359 and sort of deep dive into things and the thing. Yeah, 26 00:01:37.480 --> 00:01:40.079 So the thing I was interested in at the moment 27 00:01:40.359 --> 00:01:43.519 was I had been reading a lot about native plants, 28 00:01:43.719 --> 00:01:47.840 about bringing native plants back to your yard, if you 29 00:01:47.959 --> 00:01:52.400 have a suburban yard with grass, or you know, planting 30 00:01:52.480 --> 00:01:54.920 native plants in your garden or your window box in 31 00:01:54.920 --> 00:01:59.079 the city. And I had also read a book where 32 00:01:59.120 --> 00:02:03.799 a farmer in England had taken a thousand acres of 33 00:02:03.840 --> 00:02:07.120 her farm and let it go back to nature. And 34 00:02:07.159 --> 00:02:09.560 so I had these ideas in mind, and I thought, 35 00:02:09.599 --> 00:02:11.960 wherever we end up, I want to plant a little 36 00:02:12.400 --> 00:02:15.240 native meadow. I'm going to plant this little native meadow 37 00:02:15.280 --> 00:02:17.319 and I'm going to put a shed there where I'm 38 00:02:17.319 --> 00:02:20.800 going to sit and write my book, and I'm going 39 00:02:20.879 --> 00:02:23.199 to watch the flowers throw and it's going to be 40 00:02:23.280 --> 00:02:27.080 very romantic. So I knew that I wanted to plant 41 00:02:27.080 --> 00:02:30.759 a small meadow to help you know, native wildlife and 42 00:02:30.840 --> 00:02:36.039 native plants. And while we were looking, we heard about 43 00:02:36.039 --> 00:02:38.240 this place that had a fantastic view and we thought 44 00:02:38.319 --> 00:02:41.439 we were just coming up to see the view from 45 00:02:41.479 --> 00:02:47.719 this mountain and it was August. It was hot. The 46 00:02:47.800 --> 00:02:50.199 road did not go all the way up. It was 47 00:02:50.280 --> 00:02:53.240 basically rocks and roots, and it was pretty steep. So 48 00:02:53.360 --> 00:02:57.120 we hiked up and there was a path, like a 49 00:02:57.280 --> 00:03:02.039 narrow path mode along through all of this dense vegetation 50 00:03:02.240 --> 00:03:05.080 because apparently it hadn't been touched in quite a while, 51 00:03:05.879 --> 00:03:08.120 and it used to be a cattle farm, but there 52 00:03:08.159 --> 00:03:10.960 was this dense vegetation. It was over my head these 53 00:03:11.360 --> 00:03:14.759 yellow flowers. And I were walking up this path hemmed 54 00:03:14.759 --> 00:03:17.479 in by these flowers, and get up to the top 55 00:03:17.599 --> 00:03:20.000 and I look out and I see this open meadow 56 00:03:20.680 --> 00:03:24.960 that is around seventy five acres with all of these 57 00:03:25.039 --> 00:03:28.599 yellow flowers, these six foot plus tall yellow flowers, and 58 00:03:28.639 --> 00:03:32.240 all kinds of other bees and birds and everything flying 59 00:03:32.280 --> 00:03:34.199 around my head. And I looked at and I thought 60 00:03:34.520 --> 00:03:38.080 I was going to plant a small meadow of native plant. 61 00:03:39.000 --> 00:03:42.000 And that seems really like nothing compared to that. I mean, 62 00:03:42.159 --> 00:03:44.599 it just seems seems like I could I could do 63 00:03:44.680 --> 00:03:47.719 something really big here. Look at this place. You know, 64 00:03:47.759 --> 00:03:51.080 what could I do with it? I sort of didn't 65 00:03:51.120 --> 00:03:54.560 think about in the moment that I didn't know a 66 00:03:54.560 --> 00:04:00.800 lot about plants. I wasn't good at gardening. I didn't 67 00:04:01.879 --> 00:04:06.000 know much about restoring native meadows or you know, I 68 00:04:06.039 --> 00:04:08.840 knew how to plant something, but I didn't know anything 69 00:04:08.919 --> 00:04:11.479 about this place. I didn't know what questions to ask 70 00:04:11.520 --> 00:04:15.719 for whom to ask. So anyway, we did it anyway. 71 00:04:15.360 --> 00:04:16.279 And that's right. 72 00:04:16.360 --> 00:04:18.120 But you know, I have to tell you, I feel 73 00:04:18.160 --> 00:04:20.680 like because I mean because just reading the book, and 74 00:04:21.199 --> 00:04:22.800 you know, I was jotting notes like I don't know 75 00:04:22.800 --> 00:04:23.199 what that is. 76 00:04:23.240 --> 00:04:24.759 I don't know what that is. You. 77 00:04:24.879 --> 00:04:28.439 I feel like you were ahead of, say somebody who 78 00:04:28.480 --> 00:04:32.079 doesn't do what you do, because you're so very environmentally 79 00:04:32.399 --> 00:04:35.360 minded and and I mean like that's kind of in 80 00:04:35.399 --> 00:04:38.279 your wheelhouse, as opposed to somebody, say, who was an 81 00:04:38.279 --> 00:04:42.600 electrician and decided to do the same thing. And I 82 00:04:42.639 --> 00:04:45.439 don't know, I feel like you you were okay to 83 00:04:45.519 --> 00:04:47.959 do that, even though it was more than you were 84 00:04:48.040 --> 00:04:50.120 expecting or more than you thought you guys were going 85 00:04:50.199 --> 00:04:50.639 to do. 86 00:04:50.639 --> 00:04:51.439 Does that make sense? 87 00:04:51.680 --> 00:04:53.639 Like I kind of feel like you had a head 88 00:04:53.639 --> 00:04:57.560 start already on it because you are so connected to 89 00:04:57.800 --> 00:05:00.480 nature and know about things. Because I just felt like 90 00:05:00.480 --> 00:05:02.519 through your book you were talking about the stuff that 91 00:05:02.519 --> 00:05:04.439 you were describing, and I was like, wow, that's pretty 92 00:05:04.439 --> 00:05:06.439 cool that she knows that that's that. Like I would 93 00:05:06.480 --> 00:05:08.800 just think, oh, that's a weed, right, But you were 94 00:05:08.879 --> 00:05:11.600 very specific, even though I know you had help from 95 00:05:11.639 --> 00:05:15.160 other people. But your general brain, the way it's wired, 96 00:05:15.480 --> 00:05:20.040 recognizes weeds and flowers that I think someone who's not 97 00:05:20.240 --> 00:05:23.560 involved like you are would be able to recognize. 98 00:05:23.759 --> 00:05:27.040 I think anyway, Well, I did have a long time 99 00:05:27.240 --> 00:05:30.120 love and appreciation for nature, yeah, but I was less 100 00:05:30.199 --> 00:05:31.519 focused on plants. 101 00:05:31.639 --> 00:05:36.160 I would get really into some like creature or place. 102 00:05:36.639 --> 00:05:39.480 But I was I was like I used to when 103 00:05:39.480 --> 00:05:42.839 I was a kid. I would find horseshoe crabs on 104 00:05:42.879 --> 00:05:44.399 the beach and I would try to put them in 105 00:05:44.399 --> 00:05:49.879 the bathtub in our hotel, but like bathe them. Yeah. 106 00:05:49.879 --> 00:05:50.120 Fun. 107 00:05:50.199 --> 00:05:53.120 So I would get really obsessed with things. And also 108 00:05:53.160 --> 00:05:55.560 as an adult, I was really into gray whales for 109 00:05:55.600 --> 00:05:58.120 a while. I was really into lizards for a while, 110 00:05:58.360 --> 00:06:00.600 you know, and I had to know everything out them 111 00:06:00.720 --> 00:06:03.480 in that moment. But but it didn't really happen for 112 00:06:03.560 --> 00:06:06.319 me with plants until I got to until I found 113 00:06:06.319 --> 00:06:09.360 this place, and so I really did. I mean, the 114 00:06:09.720 --> 00:06:13.000 way I found out about this stuff I wrote about 115 00:06:13.040 --> 00:06:15.920 in the book was I had to learn I really 116 00:06:16.040 --> 00:06:19.399 I had to learn. And I started out, like you said, 117 00:06:19.439 --> 00:06:21.560 talking to a lot of experts who knew way more 118 00:06:21.600 --> 00:06:24.079 than I did, who had been doing this for a lifetime. 119 00:06:24.800 --> 00:06:28.199 And I even walk, you know, I walk on the 120 00:06:28.879 --> 00:06:33.519 on the meadow with especially this one woman named Charlotte, 121 00:06:33.519 --> 00:06:37.600 who is like a plant guru. You can recognize things 122 00:06:37.639 --> 00:06:42.839 even when they're dead, you know, amazing, yes, yes, yeah, 123 00:06:42.879 --> 00:06:45.639 And so she started me in like learning to pay 124 00:06:45.639 --> 00:06:49.600 attention to plants and look at them and notice them 125 00:06:49.720 --> 00:06:54.480 and not just see like landscape or backdrop, because that's 126 00:06:54.519 --> 00:06:56.959 how I tended to see a lot of plants really 127 00:06:57.120 --> 00:07:00.720 until until I started doing this. So I guess I'm 128 00:07:00.759 --> 00:07:03.879 trying to say, is I think anyone can learn right, right, 129 00:07:04.040 --> 00:07:06.680 I can learn this, anyone could learn, right. 130 00:07:07.360 --> 00:07:10.199 But yeah, and I mean, and you you really. 131 00:07:09.959 --> 00:07:14.079 Did a great job of describing and making the reader 132 00:07:14.160 --> 00:07:17.800 feel like that person like for me was learning as well, 133 00:07:18.959 --> 00:07:21.439 you know, I mean, because I'm yeah, I mean, like 134 00:07:21.480 --> 00:07:23.680 I'm really into plants. And when I was growing up 135 00:07:23.720 --> 00:07:25.319 as a kid, we always had gardens. And I live 136 00:07:25.319 --> 00:07:26.759 in an apartment, so I have a lot of plants 137 00:07:26.759 --> 00:07:29.920 in my apartment. And I'm like, I probably could recognize things, 138 00:07:29.959 --> 00:07:33.480 but wow, where you were. You know, it was like, 139 00:07:33.959 --> 00:07:36.360 I don't know if I would be able to do 140 00:07:36.399 --> 00:07:39.319 what you did because you know, I guess, yeah, you 141 00:07:39.360 --> 00:07:40.360 had help or whatever. 142 00:07:40.439 --> 00:07:41.680 I don't know. I just feel like. 143 00:07:43.160 --> 00:07:45.639 It might maybe for someone else, but maybe because you 144 00:07:45.680 --> 00:07:47.959 get obsessed with things, which is a really good quality, 145 00:07:48.040 --> 00:07:50.800 because then you learn where somebody else might have been 146 00:07:50.839 --> 00:07:53.439 overwhelmed and said, oh why did we do this? 147 00:07:53.879 --> 00:07:55.879 But you never I don't think you ever felt that way? 148 00:07:55.920 --> 00:07:57.800 Did you ever feel that way? Going along? 149 00:07:57.920 --> 00:07:58.079 Oh? 150 00:07:58.120 --> 00:07:58.920 I did you did? 151 00:07:59.000 --> 00:08:02.720 Okay? Oh? Yes, absolutely? And I asked myself that question 152 00:08:02.800 --> 00:08:07.000 many times, like was this crazy? Why why did I 153 00:08:07.120 --> 00:08:09.439 decide to do I could have I could have just 154 00:08:09.519 --> 00:08:12.199 you know, my kids had gone off, they were adulting, 155 00:08:12.399 --> 00:08:17.079 they had left. I could have just done something a 156 00:08:17.079 --> 00:08:19.759 little easier. I could have kept doing what I was doing, 157 00:08:19.879 --> 00:08:24.399 you know, writing editing that you know, something that wasn't 158 00:08:24.439 --> 00:08:28.519 such a big challenge or a big leap. And this 159 00:08:28.639 --> 00:08:33.080 is a big leap to like to learn something very new, 160 00:08:33.200 --> 00:08:35.440 even in a category that, as you said, I've always 161 00:08:35.440 --> 00:08:36.200 been interested in. 162 00:08:36.519 --> 00:08:39.039 Sure, I still had to. 163 00:08:39.000 --> 00:08:41.600 Learn something very new. I didn't know anything about. This 164 00:08:41.759 --> 00:08:45.879 is technically ecological restoration that I'm doing And I didn't 165 00:08:45.879 --> 00:08:49.559 know anything about doing that really other than the little 166 00:08:49.639 --> 00:08:54.519 articles I'd read, and I did regularly ask myself, especially 167 00:08:54.559 --> 00:08:57.360 when I made big mistakes that I thought were making 168 00:08:57.399 --> 00:09:00.200 things worse, or when I would find a new like 169 00:09:00.360 --> 00:09:04.799 undesirable plant taking over an area and I hadn't, you know, 170 00:09:05.240 --> 00:09:08.200 because I hadn't been paying attention to that spot. I 171 00:09:08.200 --> 00:09:10.480 would just be like, I'm so bad at this, I'm 172 00:09:10.519 --> 00:09:13.559 just making things worse, right, But you aren't doing? 173 00:09:14.279 --> 00:09:16.440 Yeah, what you aren't because you were learning. 174 00:09:16.480 --> 00:09:18.600 I mean, honestly, when there there was a part when 175 00:09:18.679 --> 00:09:21.480 you when you talked about that and how the plant 176 00:09:21.480 --> 00:09:22.879 and not that it was a bad plant, but it 177 00:09:22.919 --> 00:09:25.039 was like one of those weeds that just takes over. 178 00:09:25.360 --> 00:09:28.000 And it just reminded me again on a smaller level, 179 00:09:28.039 --> 00:09:31.320 which is why I think anyone can relate to what 180 00:09:31.399 --> 00:09:33.600 you went through. I mean, you know, I have this 181 00:09:33.799 --> 00:09:37.000 vine different plants and they go it goes nuts, and 182 00:09:37.039 --> 00:09:39.399 I the other day I saw that it was starting 183 00:09:39.440 --> 00:09:42.000 to root into another plant, and I'm like, what are 184 00:09:42.000 --> 00:09:42.399 you doing? 185 00:09:42.759 --> 00:09:44.279 You can't do that, you know. 186 00:09:44.440 --> 00:09:46.960 And that was on a very much a very smaller 187 00:09:47.080 --> 00:09:48.919 level than what you were dealing with. 188 00:09:49.080 --> 00:09:49.519 So it was. 189 00:09:49.679 --> 00:09:55.240 It was relatable, if that makes sense. But I also think, yeah, no, 190 00:09:55.360 --> 00:09:58.639 it definitely was. But again I don't know if you know, 191 00:09:59.039 --> 00:10:01.200 I mean for me, I probably would have been overwhelmed 192 00:10:01.240 --> 00:10:04.799 and been like, uh, I'm out of here, which you 193 00:10:04.879 --> 00:10:08.000 did not do, which I think is really impressive. You know, 194 00:10:08.039 --> 00:10:11.039 you stuck with it. How many how I wasn't sure 195 00:10:11.039 --> 00:10:14.159 of the timeline. How long ago did you buy this property? 196 00:10:15.320 --> 00:10:17.080 It's been just about four years. 197 00:10:17.279 --> 00:10:18.600 Oh, that's what I mean. 198 00:10:18.639 --> 00:10:20.639 I thought it was that small amount of time. But 199 00:10:20.639 --> 00:10:23.600 that's really a small amount of time really when you think, 200 00:10:23.639 --> 00:10:26.159 I mean for us, probably for you, it feels like 201 00:10:26.279 --> 00:10:26.919 eighty years. 202 00:10:26.960 --> 00:10:34.320 But I started in right away, like contacting people, and 203 00:10:34.399 --> 00:10:36.440 I talked to one person and they'd say, have you 204 00:10:36.480 --> 00:10:38.200 talked to so and so? And then I'd talk to 205 00:10:38.279 --> 00:10:40.639 so and so, and usually when I asked people if 206 00:10:40.639 --> 00:10:42.080 they wanted to come out and take a walk on 207 00:10:42.080 --> 00:10:46.759 the mountain, everybody was gained for that, sure, And luckily 208 00:10:46.799 --> 00:10:49.600 around here there are a lot of great resources. There 209 00:10:49.639 --> 00:10:54.039 are all these wonderful nonprofit organizations that are looking to 210 00:10:54.159 --> 00:11:01.159 help farmers and landowners to you know, improve the improve 211 00:11:01.240 --> 00:11:06.039 the native habitat, sure on their land. And you know 212 00:11:06.120 --> 00:11:11.600 as well as like government organizations and just individuals. I 213 00:11:11.679 --> 00:11:16.399 also talk to farmers and foresters and arborous and the 214 00:11:16.679 --> 00:11:21.559 Agricultural Extension Office and just basically anyone who would answer 215 00:11:21.600 --> 00:11:21.919 the phone. 216 00:11:22.039 --> 00:11:24.960 I got that's funny, Well you did your homework. 217 00:11:25.039 --> 00:11:27.799 But I feel it's also you know, especially where we 218 00:11:27.840 --> 00:11:31.399 are today, you know, in twenty twenty five, and how 219 00:11:32.120 --> 00:11:35.279 humans have kind of destroyed much of the world, you know. 220 00:11:35.279 --> 00:11:38.399 In the environment and the rainforest and everything. 221 00:11:38.039 --> 00:11:41.000 Else, and the goal is to get back to nature 222 00:11:41.120 --> 00:11:44.279 and help things come back, you know, animals and they're 223 00:11:44.320 --> 00:11:47.879 not extinct, and plants that will bring them back to 224 00:11:47.879 --> 00:11:50.320 where they belong. So I feel like your path that 225 00:11:50.399 --> 00:11:55.519 you did is something that more people probably would love 226 00:11:55.559 --> 00:11:58.639 to do and might be doing now, you know, looking forward, 227 00:11:58.799 --> 00:12:01.600 because we have to fix the earth. So I think 228 00:12:01.639 --> 00:12:03.799 you're you kind of might be a trendsetter with. 229 00:12:03.759 --> 00:12:07.120 That, oh I hope. So yeah, I think there is. 230 00:12:07.399 --> 00:12:10.120 I mean the trend probably started before me, because like 231 00:12:10.279 --> 00:12:14.919 the Homegrown National Park movement, which was started by Doug 232 00:12:15.000 --> 00:12:19.159 Tellamy and his book Nature's That's Hope, which talks about 233 00:12:19.320 --> 00:12:23.200 the importance and why bringing native plants to your yard. 234 00:12:23.279 --> 00:12:25.399 If you say you're in the suburbs and you have 235 00:12:25.480 --> 00:12:28.799 a long you know, or even just planting a native 236 00:12:28.799 --> 00:12:31.360 plant in the window box. How helpful that care for 237 00:12:31.480 --> 00:12:36.360 local pollinators and birds and everything, and that is that 238 00:12:36.480 --> 00:12:40.240 is a big movement and that really inspired me. And yeah, 239 00:12:40.320 --> 00:12:42.440 I think that. I think it is a thing that 240 00:12:42.519 --> 00:12:45.840 more people can do. I think it starts with, at 241 00:12:45.919 --> 00:12:49.519 least for me, it started with paying attention and observing 242 00:12:50.279 --> 00:12:53.799 and just looking more closely at the natural world wherever 243 00:12:53.879 --> 00:12:56.720 you find yourself. Yes, it's funny that, you know, when 244 00:12:56.799 --> 00:12:58.559 I lived in an apartment and when I lived in 245 00:12:58.600 --> 00:13:01.559 the suburbs, I didn't pay as much attention to my 246 00:13:01.679 --> 00:13:05.480 immediate surrounding as when like I was traveling. You know, 247 00:13:05.519 --> 00:13:07.559 I'd grow on a trip and I'd be totally into 248 00:13:07.600 --> 00:13:09.879 whatever was going on with nature there. But then my 249 00:13:10.000 --> 00:13:12.559 backyard it was just like, oh, so many mosquitos. 250 00:13:13.919 --> 00:13:16.840 Well, I think that's probably I think that's what most 251 00:13:16.840 --> 00:13:20.360 people probably do, because you kind of get a I 252 00:13:20.399 --> 00:13:22.399 guess I don't not that you're bored with it, but 253 00:13:22.399 --> 00:13:24.399 you get accustomed to it, and so you kind of 254 00:13:24.440 --> 00:13:26.519 ignore things. 255 00:13:26.279 --> 00:13:29.120 You know, And I think that's so natural. 256 00:13:29.440 --> 00:13:32.600 Yeah, it's human nature. I was going to say, yeah, 257 00:13:32.679 --> 00:13:33.440 and I think you can. 258 00:13:33.600 --> 00:13:36.399 You can sort of look at your surroundings with fresh eyes. 259 00:13:36.519 --> 00:13:39.039 You know, the city park that you walk past every day, 260 00:13:39.440 --> 00:13:42.480 what's growing there? Like if you stop and look at 261 00:13:42.519 --> 00:13:46.240 like what what insects are you seeing? What birds are 262 00:13:46.279 --> 00:13:50.039 you seeing? What? What is that plant in your backyard 263 00:13:50.120 --> 00:13:53.519 that you know maybe you've been like walking past it 264 00:13:53.600 --> 00:13:56.240 for weeks and no idea what it is, but never 265 00:13:56.360 --> 00:13:59.399 thought about, you know, finding out what Maybe it's a 266 00:13:59.480 --> 00:14:02.120 native plant or maybe it's a bad weed, and if 267 00:14:02.120 --> 00:14:05.080 you pull it, something good will grow there and maybe 268 00:14:05.120 --> 00:14:10.000 you'll see butterflies visit it. So I think that it 269 00:14:10.159 --> 00:14:15.600 starts with observing and letting the things that grab you 270 00:14:16.080 --> 00:14:21.080 drive you right, you know, because if you're engaged, if 271 00:14:21.080 --> 00:14:26.600 you're really interested, then you're more likely to stick with it, 272 00:14:26.679 --> 00:14:30.200 that's true, more likely to do something. So if you plant, 273 00:14:30.279 --> 00:14:34.320 like a milk weed plant in that corner in your backyard, 274 00:14:34.519 --> 00:14:37.960 and you know, next spring or summer you see a 275 00:14:38.039 --> 00:14:42.200 monarch butterfly there or a caterpillar there or something, it's 276 00:14:42.279 --> 00:14:47.720 so empowering and inspiring and motivating Like you did that, 277 00:14:48.440 --> 00:14:51.159 you made that happen. Yeah, No, for sure, what happened 278 00:14:51.159 --> 00:14:52.480 if you hadn't done it right. 279 00:14:52.519 --> 00:14:54.879 Right, right, No, it's true, and that's what your book. 280 00:14:54.919 --> 00:14:58.919 I mean, it's like auto biographical really because it's your 281 00:14:58.960 --> 00:15:03.000 whole journey of you doing that, and I feel like 282 00:15:03.000 --> 00:15:06.240 you kind of discovered and rediscovered a lot of nature. 283 00:15:07.559 --> 00:15:09.039 I was just I mean, there are a couple of 284 00:15:09.080 --> 00:15:11.559 things that I thought was I thought this was a 285 00:15:11.720 --> 00:15:14.440 kind I never really thought about that. But you referred 286 00:15:14.440 --> 00:15:17.639 to your dog as a dog a walking seed and 287 00:15:17.679 --> 00:15:20.759 plant distribution, and I never ever thought of that. But 288 00:15:20.840 --> 00:15:24.639 it's so it's like brilliant because it's true. You know, 289 00:15:24.720 --> 00:15:27.799 dogs catch pollen, they catch seeds, they catch so much. 290 00:15:28.480 --> 00:15:31.679 So thank you for saying that, because it's something I 291 00:15:31.720 --> 00:15:34.320 never thought about, but it is so true. 292 00:15:35.480 --> 00:15:39.159 It is, and really especially here because those tall flowers 293 00:15:39.200 --> 00:15:42.240 I was talking about, they're called yellow crownbeard, and they 294 00:15:42.279 --> 00:15:45.919 release these seeds all throughout the fall and really still 295 00:15:46.200 --> 00:15:49.600 even though they're dead, those seeds are still coming off. 296 00:15:49.960 --> 00:15:54.279 And my dog collects them like velcro, right, and there 297 00:15:54.279 --> 00:15:56.279 are like hundreds of them and she comes in and 298 00:15:56.360 --> 00:15:58.759 I like basically after brushure every time she comes in 299 00:15:58.799 --> 00:16:02.559 because the seeds stick to everything. Sure, and at least 300 00:16:02.559 --> 00:16:06.080 those are native plant seeds, right, But if she gets 301 00:16:06.080 --> 00:16:09.559 into the silk grass, that's another cop right, right. 302 00:16:09.600 --> 00:16:11.399 So yeah, yeah, it's true. 303 00:16:11.399 --> 00:16:14.720 And we get it on our shoes, on our vehicles. 304 00:16:14.159 --> 00:16:14.960 In our own air. 305 00:16:15.440 --> 00:16:16.919 Yeah, yeah, exactly. 306 00:16:17.000 --> 00:16:20.360 You do know it's true, It's really true. 307 00:16:20.759 --> 00:16:21.600 Yeah. I just thought. 308 00:16:21.759 --> 00:16:23.639 I just thought it was really fascinating. And for those 309 00:16:23.720 --> 00:16:25.720 who are just you know, who are listening and they 310 00:16:25.720 --> 00:16:28.360 want to read the book too. This your property is 311 00:16:28.399 --> 00:16:30.480 in Virginia, correct, in the Blue Ridge Mountains. 312 00:16:30.639 --> 00:16:33.919 Yes, yes, it's in the foothills of the Blue Ridge, 313 00:16:34.159 --> 00:16:37.879 the Northern Blue Ridge, sort of not far from Shenandoah 314 00:16:37.960 --> 00:16:46.559 National Park. And yeah, the the peed Months I guess 315 00:16:46.600 --> 00:16:48.480 you would call it, but it's the Piedmonts. As you 316 00:16:48.519 --> 00:16:50.840 get the closer art of the Blue Ridge, the taller 317 00:16:50.879 --> 00:16:53.120 they are, I guess. Yeah, And we're pretty close to 318 00:16:53.120 --> 00:16:53.799 the Blue Ridge. 319 00:16:54.039 --> 00:16:56.639 Yeah, I mean, and I was Actually this was another 320 00:16:56.639 --> 00:16:58.679 fact that I didn't know that eighty five percent of 321 00:16:58.720 --> 00:17:01.799 the grasslands or own IVY, which I thought was actually 322 00:17:01.879 --> 00:17:07.759 pretty good because sometimes I worry about you know, government properties, 323 00:17:08.200 --> 00:17:10.799 national government properties becoming. 324 00:17:11.880 --> 00:17:14.799 Not being used or being used for something they shouldn't 325 00:17:14.799 --> 00:17:15.759 be used for. 326 00:17:16.319 --> 00:17:19.039 So the fact that I think eighty five percent owned 327 00:17:19.079 --> 00:17:20.440 privately that's a good thing. 328 00:17:20.640 --> 00:17:21.759 Am I correct in thinking that? 329 00:17:23.079 --> 00:17:26.240 Well, it can be, it's I think it's it's a 330 00:17:26.279 --> 00:17:28.519 little bit deceptive because I think a lot of people 331 00:17:28.599 --> 00:17:31.359 have this idea that as long as we maintain the 332 00:17:31.440 --> 00:17:34.079 national parks and state parks and the local parks, then 333 00:17:34.119 --> 00:17:35.279 we're saving nature. 334 00:17:35.559 --> 00:17:35.759 Right. 335 00:17:36.960 --> 00:17:40.599 But those parks, first of all, are not like a 336 00:17:40.640 --> 00:17:43.799 true cross section of all of the habitats that were needed, 337 00:17:44.400 --> 00:17:50.079 and they're also just a tiny percentage of natural areas. Right, 338 00:17:50.160 --> 00:17:53.680 So when you say that, so, yes, eighty five percent 339 00:17:54.279 --> 00:17:57.319 of grass ends and more than fifty percent of forests 340 00:17:57.759 --> 00:18:03.880 are privately owned, and so that's good if those private 341 00:18:03.960 --> 00:18:09.720 owners are taking care of that land, you know, showing 342 00:18:09.799 --> 00:18:15.839 some responsibility for making sure that things are you know, 343 00:18:16.039 --> 00:18:19.680 things are good for sure nature that lives there, and 344 00:18:19.720 --> 00:18:20.839 that's not always and. 345 00:18:20.720 --> 00:18:23.680 That's not always the case. Yeah, no, no, that makes sense. No, 346 00:18:23.799 --> 00:18:24.799 I get that. I get that. 347 00:18:25.440 --> 00:18:27.799 So I know you're as you said at the beginning 348 00:18:27.799 --> 00:18:30.119 too when we were chatting, that your goal, of course, 349 00:18:30.240 --> 00:18:34.200 was to have a house, and your house is complete, 350 00:18:34.240 --> 00:18:37.720 you are currently living there as of now or yes. 351 00:18:37.440 --> 00:18:41.680 It is now? Yes, okay, and I but it's only 352 00:18:41.759 --> 00:18:43.240 been really a few months. 353 00:18:43.319 --> 00:18:44.559 Oh okay, we've been. 354 00:18:44.480 --> 00:18:46.960 Able to live here. And so before that, I was 355 00:18:47.000 --> 00:18:50.440 coming and going, you know, I'd come in the morning 356 00:18:50.480 --> 00:18:53.000 and i'd leave in the evening. And now my husband, 357 00:18:53.279 --> 00:18:57.039 he's an eagle scout, so he was right, he's mister outdoors, 358 00:18:57.240 --> 00:18:59.960 so he would camp here sometimes. And you would think 359 00:19:00.079 --> 00:19:03.119 that I miss outdoors or whatever. But and I am, 360 00:19:03.279 --> 00:19:05.400 but I can't sleep on the ground. 361 00:19:05.200 --> 00:19:09.359 Anymore, right, right, we're not twelve anymore. I get that. 362 00:19:09.640 --> 00:19:13.480 Yeah, that's really cool, though I'm not even sure I 363 00:19:13.480 --> 00:19:14.759 could do it when I was twelve. 364 00:19:15.039 --> 00:19:17.160 Yeah, no, I know, I know, but that's but that's 365 00:19:17.200 --> 00:19:17.640 really cool. 366 00:19:17.759 --> 00:19:21.440 Congratulations because that was your original kind of romantic dream, but. 367 00:19:21.599 --> 00:19:22.160 You did it. 368 00:19:23.359 --> 00:19:23.720 Yeah. 369 00:19:23.759 --> 00:19:25.960 Well, And it does make it a lot easier to 370 00:19:26.000 --> 00:19:28.359 do the work here, sure, because you know, being able 371 00:19:28.400 --> 00:19:30.599 to wake up here and being able to work all 372 00:19:30.680 --> 00:19:33.799 day and just being able to keep up with things 373 00:19:33.799 --> 00:19:34.640 and being able to. 374 00:19:34.720 --> 00:19:38.640 See what's happening more of more of the land. 375 00:19:39.119 --> 00:19:41.799 Yeah, and I'm sure it must be a gorgeous place 376 00:19:41.880 --> 00:19:44.279 to wake up to and to go to sleep to 377 00:19:44.359 --> 00:19:44.759 at night. 378 00:19:46.240 --> 00:19:49.160 It is. I have to say that every sunset is different, 379 00:19:49.880 --> 00:19:53.160 and it is really beautiful. It's snow covered at the 380 00:19:53.200 --> 00:19:57.759 moment from the snowstorm that we had a few days ago, 381 00:19:58.119 --> 00:20:01.680 and it's I wish my room were not snow covered anymore. 382 00:20:01.400 --> 00:20:03.960 Right right, Yeah, yeah, I know. 383 00:20:05.559 --> 00:20:08.519 But otherwise, yeah, it's really pretty. 384 00:20:08.680 --> 00:20:09.200 It's great. 385 00:20:09.319 --> 00:20:11.640 No, I think I think it's a wonderful story. It's 386 00:20:11.640 --> 00:20:12.519 a it's real. 387 00:20:13.160 --> 00:20:13.880 Uh, you know, it's. 388 00:20:13.799 --> 00:20:16.759 Something that you experienced and that you you met your 389 00:20:16.920 --> 00:20:19.240 you achieved your goal of what you wanted to do 390 00:20:19.279 --> 00:20:23.000 when you bought that piece of property. If what would 391 00:20:23.039 --> 00:20:25.599 be the one piece of advice if someone who's listening 392 00:20:25.680 --> 00:20:27.480 to this right now is thinking about, you know what, 393 00:20:27.519 --> 00:20:29.599 I think I'm going to retire and do what Paula did. 394 00:20:30.400 --> 00:20:32.240 What what would be if there. 395 00:20:32.160 --> 00:20:34.640 Is one piece of advice to give to someone who 396 00:20:34.880 --> 00:20:37.079 wants to take the same road that you just did. 397 00:20:39.119 --> 00:20:43.079 The exactly Well, that's a great question. I would say. 398 00:20:44.519 --> 00:20:47.119 I would say, maybe looks for a place with not 399 00:20:47.279 --> 00:20:48.359 such a steep road. 400 00:20:51.039 --> 00:20:54.960 That wasn't what I was expecting. But okay, yeah, everything. 401 00:20:54.599 --> 00:20:57.880