The ridge above Gravois Creek was thick with trees—white oak, pine, dogwood, and sumac. Near the summit was an acre pond full of cattails, dragonflies, and tadpoles. And the hillsides were covered with violets, buttercups, and goldenrod. The residents were mostly deer and rabbits, plus garter snakes, lizards, and creatures we never saw. Then the builders came with bulldozers and backhoes. They cut down the trees and took out the rest with dragging chains. Nothing was left but naked earth with the violent scars of machines. When the housing project was completed, a concrete sign proclaimed it “Ridge Forest.”
Pamela Kennedy
27/5/2022 08:52:51 am
Love the jab...so many beautiful settings are being transformed into housing developments....progress??
Cindy Patrick
27/5/2022 02:59:51 pm
Haha. The irony. We humans are a sick bunch. 28/5/2022 05:27:03 am
I actually have been working on a similar story, Jim (great minds - I only wish ;-)) - looks like you beat me to the punch and with a good one.
Sue Clayton
28/5/2022 06:57:21 am
Not much of the forest left for its namesake housing project to enjoy. So much of nature is scarred these days in the name of progress. Comments are closed.
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"Classic"
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