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Thursday, April 22, 2010

Irony, thy name is Chestnut Village or The Death of a Shade Tree

Today is Earth Day, why not celebrate by cutting down some pesky shade trees, right? 
BEFORE:

this is my little corner of the world and I think you all know how much I love that tree because it bloomed in the spring and gave me colorful foliage in the fall...

AFTER:


DURING:

My neighbor, Wendy (R) who is also Gizzy's babysitter when I'm gone. She's one of the few people brave enough to deal with him as he's kind of unpredictable and has a tendency to snap at sudden moves, i.e. wriggling toes and fingers (sorry, folks, he's terribly misunderstood - yeah, ok, and spoiled - wonder how that happend?)
Sitting next to Wendy is her daugther April having coffee and watching the tree cutting ordeal. Their side got rescheduled for another day.




I'm sitting in front of my apartment under the shade tree while Gizzy watches the commotion on our side further down the row. They're working their way up to "my" tree, so the whole neighborhood is looking on.

The row of trees across the street will come down another day. The job was postponed due to illness of a tenant in the apartments across the way.






My friend, Bobby-Jack, stopping by to offer his condolences. He's a contractor who could have taken up the slab of cement, levelled out the roots and replaced the stone to make the walkway flat again, but that was too sensible of a solution, so why not remove all the trees "just in case." It's like pulling out a tooth just because it has a cavity, right? But, hey, I'm only a renter and I have to be thankful to have a roof over my head, so I just shut up,  pay my rent and take the pictures.


They're working their way along towards me while Gizzy is trying to bark them away.



I got to keep one souvenir from the tree. I asked for a thick log to use as a scratching post for Middi, since she prefers my furniture over the one she has now, and thankfully she has been using her scratching log several times today.
All gone! That's what it looks like now on "my" side of the road - I'm the corner one on the right - it now looks just like any ole "project" housing and I HATE it!

Now I have my work cut out for myself. With the help of my friend, Bobby-Jack, I'll have to insulate windows and doors and hang bamboo covers on the outside of my windows and doors to block off the afternoon sun!

Hope your Earth Day started out better than mine - I know, I know, it could be worse, but it's just ironic it had to happen on this day.

16 comments:

CJ said...

OH, NOOOOO!!! Doris, this just made me feel so sick reading it!!! You must be devastated! I'm soooo sorry for you. Your lil' corner was so pretty and homey looking with all those beautiful trees. Why are people sooo stupid?!! :(
I hate it when they uproot every living green thing from a piece of land, level it off and then pack in brick houses so close you could jump from roof to roof.
I'm so sorry for you, girlfriend! It must have been so hard to watch that :(
Hope the rest of your week gets better real soon!
Hugz,
Cathy♥♥

Silke Powers said...

Oh, Doris, how awful! I cannot believe they took out healthy trees because the sidewalks buckled. People are so backwards sometimes. We have two pine trees in our backyard that make a super mess all year round, and we've talked about taking them out, but we both just can't do that to healthy trees. I'll never understand how people can do that... And then here in the south, shade trees are so important! I feel for you!! Sending a big hug! Love, Silke

Deborah said...

OH, I'm so sorry. I hate it when the town cuts down trees. Just think of all the birds and squirrels that will miss the tree too! Your house doesn't look bad. So don't worry about that! I would be so mad if they did that to me.
I hope you have a better day tomorrow.
xxoo
Deborah

Anonymous said...

Yes it is ugly. Made me sick to look at it too. But you are so right, one just has to do what one has to do. This too will pass.
Hope the rest of your week is better.
Blessings
QMM

gwengoods said...

Doris, I feel so bad, that is terrible, living up in Atlanta and watching the brown sky as I am driving down Blvd, turns my stomach. We live across the street from Grant Park and I get terribly sad when trees fall or are cut down, and not enough new trees get planted, I think for every tree that is lost 5-10 trees need to take their place. Even a dead tree is beautiful.

♥ Kathy said...

aww :( that is so sad :(

Holly, the Old Western Gal said...

Doris, I feel terrible for you and for the trees. How crazy of them to do that. Ridiculous, crazy, nuts, BAD of them to do that. I know you must be heartsick and no wonder.

Gloria P. said...

Dori so sorry they took your beautiful tree, and on earth day...Argh...those ..#@$%^&** !

I hope your weekend gets better, when I am sad I grab my yarn and lose myself in it!

Hugs to you am gizzy
Glo

Jacque said...

Good Morning Doris,

SO SORRY about that event! Your tree was so pretty. The devastation to your area is horrific!! You are right--too ironic for Earth Day.

Thanks for stopping by the farmhouse for a visit. We love having company.

Have a great weekend.

Samantha G said...

This is infuriating. I am almost in tears. I have always been very sensitive about the cutting down of trees, but when it's one that is sentimental to you... it's just so much worse. Maybe it's from the Lorax movie, from Dr. Seuss- you should see it. I could write down more about how ridiculous this is but you already know my thoughts, and more I'm sure... I'm so sorry this happened :(

Doris Sturm said...

Yes, I know the story of the Lorax very well - love the book and love it's message, yet people don't care and do what they want, but one day when it's all gone, they cry about it and wonder why it's so bad...that goes to show you little we have evolved - I think it boils down to selfishness and greed and that will be the demise if the human race...it's already started! I'm almost not proud to be a human being - I think animals have more sense than we do a lot of times. I think it's just very, very sad!

gin said...

that's too sad! It won't be the same with out the tree.

Anonymous said...

WHY OH WHY??? The tree was living, breathing, taking care of the pollution, generating oxygen, much more important than the sidewalk!!! I want to cry!! I'm currently battling other residents over the issue of overly pruning trees, and I can't understand why everything has to be perfectly manicured, I've even been out sweeping the sidewalk across the street, to keep the trees from messing up the brand new side walk so as not to bring attention to them. Is there any way to ask if a small replacement tree can go in, one that doesn't have the root problem??? It's the least they can do!! We need the trees to absorb the pollution. This is a very sad thing, indeed. My heart goes out to you and the lost Chestnut Trees. :(

Anonymous said...

Oh Doris what a terrible shame - it looked so pretty and now it is so bare :( Hopefully something will be replanted that won't affect the footpath.

The Beneficial Bee said...

No, Doris, no! How terrible, I'm so sorry. That would have killed me to watch. :(

Nuo said...

it is so...what's word... oh... NAKED. I like the before not the after. Why do they do that?!!! you'd think that they want the shade because the summer weather.