And forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair. ~ Kahlil Gibran



Saturday, April 17, 2010

Regretting Town

I am supposed to be sleeping. I came home from work with every intention of actually sleeping most of the day. When I turned onto our road, I saw that the lot next to us, where Habitat for Humanity is planting two houses in space enough for one, a tree service was busily cutting down all the massive old oak trees on the lot. They are making so much noise with their chainsaws and chipper that there is no way I can sleep.

I am furious. I keep trying not to be, but it is so hard. "We will save as many of the mature trees as we can" they said. "We want the new houses to blend in to the neighborhood" they said.

They lied.

Those durn tree guys have been out there since around 8 this morning, cutting down every living thing on the lot. Out of around 12 mature oaks and pines, there are two trees left standing. Yeah, two.

Little Sprout has been watching "the man up in the air" most of the day out of an upstairs window, but I have been avoiding the windows on that side of the house. It is so sad to look out and see that all the trees and shrubs on an entire section of land have been destroyed. All that living beauty reduced to a pile of wood chips.

It's so depressing.

I did send Mr. Barefoot out to ask the guys to leave a big pile of woodchips in our driveway, though. I figure I can use it around the veggie beds (it will tidy up the look quite a bit) and other various places around the yard where we desperately need something neat and tidy looking. If we get more than I can use, I can always call Dad to come pick up the rest. He can use it around his veggie beds, as well.

If they agree, at least one small good thing will come from this entire disaster.

5 comments:

CG said...

I'm so sorry. I don't know what else to say. We have a neighbor who has mowed a whole entire hillside of trees, mowed them down, didn't plant anything, then put too many longhorn cattle on the field over the winter. I think he's trying to create Texas in Tennessee. Still, I only have to drive by, and I know that when he's gone (because he will be gone eventually), that will be one great berry field for awhile. It wasn't mature trees and it wasn't in a neighborhood. So I just really feel for you.

barefoot gardener said...

Thanks, CG. It's nice to have friends who understand how bad this stinks. I suppose I will get used to it, maybe even forget how beautiful all the trees were, but right now I am just shaking my head at the waste....

Lisa said...

Why? Why? WHY??? I know nothing about construction, but am sure they could do this another way!!

barefoot gardener said...

Lisa-
Oh, it could have been done if they were only going to put one house on the lot designed to hold one house. I think the prob is that they are going to squeeze two houses on one lot AT THE SAME TIME, and they just can't get their equipment in the spaces.

Grrr...

Anonymous said...

I understand that there is far too much destruction of wildlife in this world, really and truly i do, and I also understand that as a visitor on your site, I do not know of any extenuating circumstances for your anger towards the construction company, construction workers, etc. BUT. If the houses are being erected through Habitat for Humanity, that means that those said houses are being built for people that are impoverished, less fortunate, and would not acquire housing any other way. So isn't the housing of someone in need just as important as preserving the wildlife? I, as a recipient of a Habitat House, was enjoying your forum, but after reading this entry, I questioned your empathy for others, rather than taking pity on YOU because " They are making so much noise with their chainsaws and chipper that there is no way I can sleep." Not trying to offend, just letting you aware of how you may come off to some.