Backyard Escape

Needless to say that this month has been a tax upon the soul.

Like so many of us living in these wildly unpredictable times, I’m guilty of “doomscrolling”, sitting at the computer or staring at my phone, swiping through countless news articles, reading about Covid-19, Black Lives Matter protests, government hijinks and plain old bad behavior on the part of so many human beings. Looking for the promise of hope, a return to normality, attempting to make adjustments for every new development, scroll scroll scroll, like one slow-motion car wreck after another, all of us are virtual rubberneckers devouring the unbelievable spectacle taking place outside of the windows of our flesh-bound vehicles. Don’t wanna miss a thing, gotta stay updated, receive those alerts and be on top of current events so we can be prepared.

Prepared for what?

You can be forgiven for taking a doom and gloom attitude of late. More than ever, we’re all looking for a little good news to get us through to the next day, week, month and even year. The coronavirus is promising to be our BFF for at least another 12 months, if not longer. As I type this, Florida is emerging as a Grade-A virus hot spot, our case numbers approaching those of New York City in April when their shit hit the fan. However, whereas they went into lockdown, we remain open for business and bogged down in endless debate over the use of face masks, the broken nature of our unemployment system and the fudging of our Covid-19 numbers.

When Jae and I first got together, there was nothing in the backyard of the house we share near downtown Orlando. Over the years, I’ve put effort into cultivating a space where we could chill out, relax and find sanctuary from the world. It started with a simple privacy fence alongside the house, a perfect spot to put a small herb garden. I excavated earth, lined it, and began maintaining a 900 gallon fish pond, which brought all types of critters and created its own burgeoning eco-system. There was never any grand design or vision overall, just a casual “you know what would be nice?” and then either I got to work or we had someone come in and do the work for us.

I took horticulture in high school and that’s about the extent of my formal experience as an amateur landscaper, but the internet has yielded loads of information on soil conditions, plant types, growing seasons and indigenous flora and fauna. At one point, 2/3 of the backyard was converted into a garden where we grew pole beans, broccoli, okra and melons. But with Jae working full-time at that point, and me heading out on tour for ever-longer periods of travel, the garden was eventually removed and that space reclaimed. An above-ground pool was added for the hot summer days and a deck with sun sails was built by a friend. Lots of small moves and additions, successes and failures, shaped our backyard into a place where we held occasional gatherings and entertained friends while cooking out.

The front yard saw some development as well, but not nearly as much since it faced the street and didn’t allow for any sort of privacy in a mixed-zoning neighborhood full of businesses, residences and a high-traffic street. Inspired by the colorful lighting design of themed show lighting at the Disney parks, I began to incorporate up-lighting around the house, turning our homestead into a place with two distinctly different characters. A place of fun and beauty in the sun and a wonderland of hues, shadows and sparkling, twinkling activity.

Over the course of 17 years, it’s grown and developed. Some trinkets purchased at a road-side stand end up as a design flourish. An impulse buy online becomes a centerpiece. After each new addition, we’d look at everything and count ourselves fortunate to have a place filled with both natural beauty and man-made aesthetics, pleasing to the eye, soothing to the soul and perfect for a backyard escape. Inspired by the outdoor living spaces of folks in the Florida Keys, where people who live in a tourist destination can enjoy themselves without having to go out into said tourist destination. They brought the joy, wonder and whimsical design home to enjoy and share with a select few. It was always meant to be an addition, a plus, something we could turn to when we weren’t so wrapped up in the business of living day-to-day.

Little did I know that it would end up being a saving grace once the coronavirus lockdown took place.

So, it’s been a daily ritual for us to take a break from the world, head into the backyard with a bucket of beer and wine, float in the pool, gaze at the majestic oak trees and listen to the cries of the red-shouldered hawks. With most of our favorite escapes shuttered by Covid-19, we instead escape out the back door and into our own private wonderland, which has done wonders for our headspace.

Who knows what the future may bring? Some say that this isn’t the new normal while others suspect that it very well may be. If we never got to go anywhere else again, if home was our forever destination, then this small piece of heaven has proven to be enough balm for the soul. During lockdown, time has slowed down and the smaller things have been magnified into greater importance and value. Contemplating the many grand old trees or the cobalt blue of the sky brings warmth to our spirits. Seeing each new frog, dragonfly, possum and raccoon is thrilling and encouraging. Life goes on and this space was reclaimed from being a half-acre of mown grass and turned into a sub-tropical oasis where we can relax, rejuvenate, refresh and re-think the importance of things in our lives. It didn’t begin this way, but to our own purposes, it became this thing, maybe out of necessity and maybe not.

All I know is, if we never get out of this sickening situation that we’re in, then stay-cations will have to do and, you know what? That’s more than enough.