Sunday, July 29, 2012

Safe Haven. Not!

I honestly thought I was safe when I parked in front of the little trees on Second Street,  Elmira Westside.  One block from home.

I survived, as did all Elmira residents.

But most property took one or many more hits.

pb
Little Pond

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

From the "redneck" branch of the family...

Drought kill your apple tree? 

No worries!  You can always decorate it for the summer, winter, heck, maybe even Christmas.

MammaDog and her man have found a place for all those non-returnables that they've been accruing.

Of course that gives away the whole game.  Any rednecks out there to see the clues?

pb
Little Pond

Friday, July 13, 2012

Manicuring the trees

Our walk on Foster Island out behind the Water Board yielded signs of DEC property management.
Here,for example is our favorite Alder Tree.  It has been crudely chopped, to keep back the canopy and to prevent squatters from camping under the boughs.

I have often seen them tenting among the overgrown patches of knotweed, but as you can see, that also has been mown.

Now, in Europe, trees like the alder would be carefully "manicured" to allow for an aesthetically pleasing form.  This would begin while the tree is young and continue during its entire life, making for a straight and strong bole, and lots of smaller branching coming directly off the top.  The result is a stately looking tree, perfect for wide avenues in a place like Paris, France, Europe.

Ahhhh, but not in Elmira, New York, USA...

I am not certain of the species of this tree, but I can tell you it would not do at all for the Champs Elysees.

It has been butchered.  And while I laud the rather belated care given to it, I have to mourn what might have been if it had been propery manicured.

pb, snob
Little Pond

Sunday, July 08, 2012

Hot dog in a cool dip.


Frankly, I wouldn't drink it, but the HuggaMutt is fainting in the heat.