Took a little trip into Bainbridge today... its Mothers day dont ya know.... pay this mother, and that mother... Anyway, as I drive anywhere I look around me all the time. My Daddy would fuss at us on long trips if we read a book in the car instead of paying attention to what was going on around you. From Daddy I got the photo bug, and the history bug, and a few other bugs as well. I see things that a lot of other people dont see.. Danny once told me that I had taught him to look for the extraordinary in everyday life. On my 18 mile trip into Bainbridge, there is a lot to see and different little communities in between here and there. LOTS of history, too. Part of that history, that love of things old, to include trees. The magnificent Live Oaks and Water Oaks in our neck of the woods are truly regal. So many of them are HUGE... dating at least 2 and 300 years old easily. In Bainbridge, as there are in many towns in the South, we love our trees and try to keep the old girls healthy and protected. So it really ticks me off when I see clear cutting and thinning of the trees... any trees... but especially those big oaks. Ive watched the roadside all along 97 slowly but surely cut and prune and clear a LOT of land. Southlands is in the midst of their new owners and they are doing a fine job of clearing the canopy from the right side of the road heading South. Most of what Ive seen from their clean up is really a good thing. BUT, there is another stretch of land between Greenshade road and 302 Hwy to Quincy... it was partly field and mostly swampy and where the old railroad bed laid, trees had grown up. Now, in about a weeks time, ALL the trees from this one area was clear cut... ALL the trees, big and small. You had a clear view of the cypress and water oaks pond down the hill and what is so sad to me... all that standing timber in the water has now started dying and falling over. These were exquisite water oaks and cypress. I cried when I saw the destruction of that habitat. What did they plant in there? Well, I saw the little trees planted and thought at first it was peach trees, but upon further inspection, I saw they were baby pecan trees. A new orchard has been planted. That is awesome. I just hate that the old girls were sacrificed. Something else about that field that gets me every time I see it. It is row upon row of white pipe markers that from a distance could be mistaken for a cemetery easily. Change is inevitable and we have to just roll with it and keep on going. My feelings are still the same. Why cut down those beautiful old gals? Cant another way be found to preserve them? I mean if the cities of Gainesville, Ocala and Lake City can erect their buildings and parking lots AROUND the old trees, why cant we? Bainbridge is supposed to be a tree city and the old trees around town are supposed to be protected. Ok, Im done now. Suppers ready.
Posted on: Fri, 04 Apr 2014 21:37:43 +0000