One saw the mud, the other saw stars.”
— Dale Carnegie
***Warning: Parenthetical rant ahead!***
(Then they argued and shouted and threatened each other endlessly about which one was right. Heh. Can you tell I was just involved in one of those fruitless "discussions" on Facebook? Why do I assume that anyone wants to enter into an intelligent dialogue on any subject, respecting each other's right to diverse opinions and experiences? No; time and again I am brought up short by the realization that everyone's attitude today seems to be "My way or the highway," and if you don't agree with them you are uninformed, stupid, or a liar. Of course, we have this modeled by those who would be leader of the free world, so why should I expect better?)
***End of parenthetical rant.***
I was gone all day yesterday, coming home well after sunset, so was spared the drone of chainsaw and track hoe. But even in the dark, I could tell the view had changed. Where once had been the velvety blackness of evergreens, we could see slightly paler sky and distant valley lights. It was disconcerting, but not unpleasant.
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| New view bracketed by trees in our yard, left, and trees in our pasture, right. |
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| The view due east, unchanged |
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| The view northeast, greatly changed. |
This morning dawned with few clouds, so our expanded view of sky and horizon was clearly exposed – as exposed as we now feel. But there is beauty to be appreciated, as long as we focus afar, and not at the mud and destruction hard at hand. The house seems magnitudes brighter now – as if the evergreens now gone had absorbed light. More light is not a bad thing at this time of year, but in the hot summertime it will be a different matter. That's what we get for building a house with a wall of east-facing windows!
That's it for today from . . .
9 comments:
I'm always amazed at how people feel that they have the right to tell you how you are wrong you are for having your opinion. I love social media for all the wonderful shares and events and so on. And I hate the way people treat others. Hey, find me on facebook. Ruth Dixon
Your new view is what I call an "eye-stretching" view. Before we found our place, I told my hubby I needed a view where my eyes could stretch. That's what yours now reminds me of. You will now be able to see hawks soaring, geese flying overhead, and storms coming in. Which is not a bad thing. I would still be mourning the loss of the trees...but as you say, it's all about perspective.
Your new view is quite lovely.
Oh, no... is this building going on by someone next to you? Or is this your clearing?
Wonderful pics of the views. X
Done, Ruth!
That's a good description, Mokihana.
Yes, it definitely has its charms, Nancy Kay.
Mary Ann, the lot on our north side has been cleared for a vineyard and home site.
Thanks, Maggie. :-)
What a great place to fly kites!
Hopefully they'll go organic with the grapes! And you can talk to them about using sheep to weed the vineyard (of course with our browse-y Shetlands, that might not endear you to them after the sheep make a pass through).
That all said, I'm in agreement that the view is very nice, but I totally understand your feelings too. I moved from my last house because the neighbors were so clueless about boundaries. They built a garage 6 ft from the property line, taking down a tree that straddled the property line and in the process, cutting through my fence. They put it back up with a bungie cord and when I asked them when they were going to repair my fence (figuring it was only decent that they restore it to the original condition) they said, "oh we did!" So after 20 years I put the house on the market and left. It all turned out well (sold right before the 2008 real estate crash) but it was so stressful that they didn't understand privacy and common decency. Good people, but clueless.
You mean among all those stumps, Cynthia, or down in the valley?
Yeah, I don't think Shetlands in the grapes would be very welcome, mcf! The new owner of the neighboring lot refused to honor our request to leave a row of trees along the property line, so I don't have high hopes that he's the considerate sort. :-/
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