I lived in a barn for three summers of my life while in college.  It was a red, wood-sided barn with a hayloft and a lean-to on either side.  The half-moon cement stoop had my name etched into it and a willowy caricature of a horse by the awesome Amy Olsen–artist, cook, wrangler, and bunk house mate.  It had an upgraded floor of particle board, one wall of wood paneling, a couple of square wood-framed windows, and two rows of bunk beds.  My lean-to was not rodent free–though I did check my mattress to make sure there wasn’t a round hole chewed through the fabric–but it was a good place to live, nonetheless.  We were safe from the coyotes that howled in the night, above the rattlesnakes that crawled on the ground, dry from the rain that tapped on the tin roof, and close to the South Dakota prairie that we loved.

My children also worked at church camps with ‘rustic’ housing.  Two of the them lived for three summers (or more) in a straight-sided canvas wall tent on a wooden platform near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area and the other in a cabin under towering pines and oaks on a hill overlooking Star Lake.  Immersed in Nature, sheltered by Nature, inspired by Nature.

Have you ever wondered where all of Nature’s creatures find shelter, especially in winter?

Fallen trees provide shelter to many little critters–thick walls of wood insulation, grubs and insect larvae to eat, moss to munch on and use for nesting, and protection from the wind and snow.  A weasel or mink may live in the cavity of a fallen log.

Dead trees that are still standing make excellent homes for woodpeckers and other birds.

This old oak tree has a hobbit-house opening at the base.  Who lives here?

Leaves lined the opening of the shelter.

Inside the oak house, there was shredded wood for nesting material, but I’m still not sure who lives here.

Other animals make their dens under rocks.  I know the fox who travels through our yard has a den somewhere on the steep hill under a large granite rock.

Rabbits like to take shelter under brush piles.  When we have more snow, the brush piles turn into huge igloos, making a cozy place for a rabbit family.

We have a critter who lives under our garden shed.  Our attempt to close his entry with chunks of granite didn’t deter him–he now just has a granite entryway!

Trees and rocks–home to so many creatures!

Look around your house–how many trees and rocks went into making your home a comfortable place for you and your family to live?  Safe shelter is a basic need for all of us–humans and animals alike.  Having a place to live that is warm, dry, and safe is essential in order to live well the rest of one’s life.  It’s fairly easy to live in a barn or a tent in the summer, but winter provides additional challenges.  I’m grateful for the trees and rocks that make up our home, for the warmth that earth’s natural gas provides, and for the connection to and inspiration from Nature.

*The Rolling Stones