Now that makes a lovely headline for a newspaper don't you think. Unfortunately it is all too true,. Our local council is once again cutting down healthy trees because some prize idiot has complained about the nuisance cased by fallen leaves. Health and safety has gone so far that in this borough it is considered unsafe for children to kick through fallen leaves and so the parks departments answer is to cut the trees down. In the past few months four trees have been felled in one park alone for this ridiculous reason, and in spite of the fact that the department in question promised to fell no more trees without proper consultation.
I have also been receiving reports of ivy being stripped from walls in another local park, again in spite of local opinion. So at the crack of dawn this morning I sat at my computer and composed yet another scathing letter to the head of the parks department asking her if it was the intention of the Local Authority to tidy up every tree, shrub and vestige of wild life in the borough into oblivion! We are in danger of becoming a totally sterile environment because some idiot is afraid of being sued if someone slips on a few dead leaves,or a child falls while climbing up an ivy covered wall.
The mind boggles at such a ridiculous situation, at a time when Britain's trees are under attack from one of the worst infestations for years. Truly the new virus make the Dutch Elm outbreak back in the 70,s look pretty tame. That outbreak caused the loss of almost every Elm tree in the British Isles, the new plague strikes at every species of tree and is spreading fast. I understand that in some areas thousands of healthy trees are being felled in order to provide a break so wide that the disease cannot jump the gap. I can only begin to comprehend the devastation this necessary measure will cause on many levels and its success is by no means assured.
I beg anyone who reads this to look around the place they live in and if they see such things happening in their area to please write to their local council ,if we all shout loudly enough they must hear us eventually.
Sorry about the lecture folks, I get rather steamed up on this subject and have bored you all half to death more than once I know!
Sunday has been quiet here but pleasant . I had hoped to do a little gardening over the weekend but the wind is too fierce for my taste and so after a little jaunt to the garden centre to return some moth eaten peanuts I decided to spend the day being very lazy indeed. My little cat and I ensconced ourselves in a cosy chair and I ate lots of toffee popcorn while she slept, only waking occasionally to demand that I tickle her tummy. There is something infinitely relaxing about stroking a cat and her purring has a soporific effect, I actually nodded off myself for a while.
I have put a vase of daffodils in my room, they are so brave looking and bright at this time of year and they look lovely in the jug that my sons friends at work gave me as a Christmas gift.
Tomorrow it is back to work for my son and the merry-go-round will start again for me too, but that is what life is all about I suppose and besides, the crocuses are opening up in the orchard, which means that the primroses will not be far behind. I also note that the evenings are getting lighter in spite of the dull sky and lack of sun. As my son says very often “Always look on the bright side of life.” I say it myself, but often with a hint of irony, the cause of which is ,I expect the result of age and experience ,yet I would say that I am still an optimist.........most of the time!
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