There are two types of people on the water. Those that try to avoid damaging nature as much as possible and those that believe they can mold nature to mankind's desires. She is the second.
If you look closely (click on the photo) you can see the man on the left of the photo hanging from safety ropes and the man on the far right is in the bucket. They have stripped the trees of all their lower branches, which I understand is legal so that she can finally have a view from her million-dollar house. We do get some great sunsets and now she can see them without having to go down to her dock like I do. I just cannot help but think this is hard on the trees. They lose a third of their food-making machines.
The chain saws buzz and buzz and buzz and give me a headache! It is like a battle of the hornets. I will get some interesting sun angles against those naked trees for photography on the lighter side as I look from my deck I am thinking.
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Above is our house. We can see the water from our deck, but it is through some natural bare areas that we had when we bought the house and we do keep them clear so that we can watch the boat during stormy weather and so that we have a clear path to our dock. We pile rocks to keep the waves from destroying the natural grasses rather than drop a wall of rock along the shore as many do. Do I sound a little snooty? Sorry, but I am old and am set in my ways.
If trees fall into the river we are required by law to leave them there unless they present a navigation issue. She does not own a boat and is also removing a fallen tree on the opposite side of her dock. This means habitat loss for our fish and shellfish. But it is so hard for people to see the big picture.
I think you deserve a sunset picture or two after all my ranting. (The buzzing has stopped!!!)
Hope you have a healthy week without COVID, fires, storms or flooding.
Lots to think about.
ReplyDeleteLike how natural leaning am I.
Not a Nature purists for sure. For security reasons, pruning for a view can go both ways.
Great view. Jealousy setting in here. For you, not her. :)
ReplyDeleteI almost forget about your rant when looking at sunset those photos!
ReplyDeleteTree cutting here happens far to often. But then trees are messy, you know, :-/
We love our trees even when we have to cleanup after them.
There is a lot of tree removal from land near my lake house...makes me ill, physically and mentally that this is happening. Things have changed there so much in the two years since Randy died. I haven't had the heart to be there this summer. Have only been one time. It all just makes me so incredibly sad.
ReplyDeleteNever heard of such rules to help our trees and fishy friends. Your neighbor sounds like she'd buy up land near her house. Enjoy your own guilt-less view. Linda in Kansas
ReplyDeleteIf she's so concerned about kindness, i wish she would learn kindness to the environment.
ReplyDeleteThe natural environment is so much more beautiful than the look your neighbour is going for! You live in paradise!
ReplyDeleteOh, my. Your post started me ranting! Of course I just experienced the shaving of the trees behind my condo. But it reminded of the remote reservoir where Mike and I used to camp. We would canoe with gear and a couple days of camp wood) to a primitive campsite, leave it exactly as we found it. Then motor boats strted bringing campers with chainsaws who decided to "improve" on nature and expand the tent sites. Heartbreaking.
ReplyDeleteI highly recommend The Secret Life of Trees and similar books.
I hate the sound of chainsaws. back when I lived in the city and our neighborhood was being 'gentrified', meaning they tore down all the cottages and clear cut the land, cutting down mature trees, to build lot line condos, you could hear them buzzing every week. I hated it. we lost nearly half our canopy in the neighborhood before we left.
ReplyDeleteI really wish people who have all that money and privilege would become stewards of the earth rather than taking it all for themselves. You do live in a beautiful area, though.
ReplyDeleteThanks for telling us all about her. I wouldn't want to be her at all. I agree with DJan.
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful place to live. There is nothing more sickening than to hear trees being slaughtered.
ReplyDeleteSpectacular scenes in your photos! The noise you describe would be annoying to say the least. Too bad about the trees being shaved like that as not very attractive either. Unfortunate about your neighbor as seems ironic she had a gardening show but has a less than friendly view of how to treat the environment I think.
ReplyDeleteThat's worth is bad neighbour, rip up the what nature had done.
ReplyDeleteMy sister's home is lovely and they share a large quarry pond with neighbors. One new neighbor built a 6 million dollar home across from them and offered to pay them if they would take their little cabin off the pond. They didn't like the view of the tacky cabin plus didn't care for their small bass boat. My sister and bil told them where to jump in the pond.
ReplyDeleteWow. We have a trailer and two small cabins next to some pricey homes across the way and I have no problem as long as they are environmentally conscious and polite.
DeleteBeautiful area and photos. We've had the same issues arise in Oregon along the waterways.
ReplyDeleteIn the end what we need is 'rights' for the natural world, accepting that animals are sentient beings and that trees are part of planet Earth.
ReplyDeleteI feel for you. Having neighbours who don't share your values can be so frustrating. I'd need lots of deep breaths as I took in those glorious sunsets.
ReplyDeleteGlorious sunset and rainbow photos.
ReplyDeleteOn tree felling .. I'm kind of both ways. De-foresting is one thing, pruning and generally making place for people and their needs while not forgetting the wildlife is quite another. Piling of stones instead of pouring concrete is the right way ;)
I have in my garden an old, mushroom-infected, holey, half dead apple tree. It stays! as long as it's not dropping dead. It serves as food and hidey hole place for lots of wildlife, we prune it sometimes for security - falling branches hurt and our garden is small - 1000 square meters (no idea in any other square measurements). But in bordering neighbour's places we have trees as well. Planted by tree loving neighbours. Now, many years later they have become so big, neighbours are living in a forest with no light and gutters that clogs constantly. And our previously grand view has totally disappeared. They could pretty please start cutting down some of those trees - even if I grumbled loudly as another neighbour did just that ... the noise urgh! But I'm actually pleased with the result, still many trees, renewed views, and home for more bird life (Living on a corner we have a copious amount of neighbours).
I do not like it when people plaster concrete and tiles all over the place, I like wild borders - heck all my garden is wild - but I do not like the idea that when a tree is planted (or sprouted) it stays. People also make mistakes in planting too close, too many etc. trees. At least where people live, we have to co-exist. People need light and views, birds need trees and bugs, trees need branches, bugs need trees and flowers ... Trees can take quite a beating without dying, and better we do the pruning than a storm throws the branches in our roofs - I get the idea that your plots of land are much larger than the ones in my neighbourhood.
I look forwards to hearing what you think of this ... and of your view in a year's time.