from a writer's sanctuary, R.I.P. stately trees

majestic pines coming down

For many writers, our sanctuary is our home. I know mine is. I spend hours daydreaming and staring out our windows at the beautiful trees and lush quietude. Squirrels are wildly funny with their chasing games and we keep a bird book in the kitchen because of all the interesting visitors: Woodpeckers, Grosbeaks, Western Tanagers, Mountain Bluebirds, Lazuli Buntings and the other day a Cooper's Hawk. I can sound like a park ranger with my enthusiasm for our local wild life.

But for the past three days we've been hearing the high-pitched buzz of chainsaws and the roar of a commercial shredder parked on our street.

Three of our next-door neighbor's beautiful trees are being destroyed because their landlord wills it so. The trees are not diseased. "We always hate to cut down the ones that are healthy like these," one of the sawyers told me, "but I want to keep the client happy." In other words, he needs the job. That part, I understand.

No more place to play

 A flowering crabapple is gone and now two beautiful 40-year pines. Birds' and squirrels' nests have fallen to the street. There will be no shade this summer and it can be blistering hot in Idaho. As you can see from the photo, no more tire swing.

Boise boasts that it's the City of Trees, but there's something wrong when any ol' homeowner can shave a neighborhood just because he's tired of raking leaves or wants a landscaping project.