Right after that big drought Texas experienced, when it started raining again, our backyard went wild, and we couldn’t keep up. The last thing I did back there was chop down the entire yard of Begger’s Lice, bag it up, and have it hauled off with the trash. Then, we decided to wait and see what happened. Would this small patch of earth return to a native state if untended and ignored, and what would that natural, wild state look like? Today was the first day in all that time I ventured further than the back door.

Up by the house, we are still having Begger’s Lice problems, but beyond that? Lush. Natural. Native. My footsteps padded by damp leaves and thick growth of Horse Herb. Each step produced the scent of rich dark earth and green life growing. New trees have sprung up organically, naturally. A variety of bushes, some I can’t identify, have taken root. As I followed a path created by the soft steps of countless cats, for a moment, the city fell silent, and I was in the wild outback of Texas on a wet December day with birds chirping and the last leaves of fall quietly murmuring in the gentle rain.

I am awestruck by what nature can create when left to its own devices, or more importantly, when we stop fighting against it in our attempts to make it behave as we would like. This grand experiment of ours is not yet done, but I pleased with its progress. More than pleased. I am delighted. And nature’s gift to us for allowing her free reign over her dominion was a harvest of unexpected pomegranates, symbols of creation, fertility, and future rebirth.