#61 ·
Robert Hall7 said:Clearly, you aren't spending much time out in the wild. Thirty years ago, trilliums were everywhere; every single bush on my property had a white, fragrant shroud. Those were the trilliums. Now, I walk past those same bushes and see nothing—not a trace, not a scent. They’re just gone. And mind you, nobody mows or maintains that section; it sits right on the edge of a nature preserve that the locals guard like it's holy ground. I saw their reaction when a willow fell onto my fence. Fifteen cars showed up—police, park rangers, God knows who else. I demanded they respect the laws of Rhode Island and prune the trees threatening my property. What did I get? Nothing. Just a letter stating that no trees can be cut down in the preserve. If something falls, clear it away, leave it by the boundary so people can see it, and end of story. Apparently, this is a "unique ecosystem" along the Mississippi River, one of a kind in the country. That's what they tell you. The forest is basically just willows, locusts, poplars, some birch, and a mess of weeds, but they protect it fiercely. You can't go picking blackberries; heaven forbid you touch anything.
There used to be all kinds of wildflowers here. Today, there's very little—especially the spring ephemerals, if anything at all. We destroy and strip everything, drain the wetlands, persecute endangered species. We're performing miracles of destruction. My neighbors were shocked a few years back when I called the police, the environmentalists, and everyone else I could think of because someone "smart" decided to kill a swan. There aren't even swans in the nearby marsh anymore. What are we going to show our grandkids tomorrow if we wipe everything out, kill it all off?
You can all laugh at me if you want, but take a moment to actually think about it. If the ladies at the farmer's market want to sell something, they should plant it in their own gardens or pots and sell it from there. A pansy might go for a couple of bucks. A primrose for $1.75. But that requires planting, nurturing, working. It's easier to just head into the woods, rip up trilliums by the bulb—which we'll just toss afterward since we don't need them—and head to the market to sell them. If you think that's okay, more power to you.
Look, that swan was raiding people's gardens. Honestly, it got what it deserved. You think I'm gonna let you come after my gas money too? Not a chance.