The shed in my backyard provides boundaries for all of the tools and gardening paraphernalia that I use.  I also store the jars I use for canning there.  But the shed was not always a shed.  Until three years ago it was a  7′ x 7′ tree house!

I had the tree house built in the mid 90’s and slept in it from April to October for five years.  The boundaries of the tree house protected me from wildlife and the rain. Even though it had walls, there was also a skylight.  That gave me a sense of being part of the tree, the sky and nature in general.  Returning to the main house for autumn and winter months sometimes gave me a sense of being imprisoned. My cells yearned to be outside and feel free again.

I was always a little nervous walking to the tree house at night.  After all, I live in the inner city and there could be intruders in the backyard.  The lock on the door provided a boundary that helped me feel safe once I was inside.

One day, when I walked to the tree house at bedtime, two very large raccoons were standing upright on their back legs, in-between the tree house ladder and me.  There was no boundary between us.  I turned around and walked back to the main house.

I generally don’t have problems with fear keeping me from doing the things I want to do, but knowing there was no way to create a protective barrier between those big raccoons and me put an end to my sleeping in the tree house.

Written for Weekly Photo Challenge: Boundaries