A few days ago we had a heavy rain/thunderstorm at night. Not an inordinate amount of rain for these parts–but a powerful display of thunder and lightning. I slept through it but was sitting here early the next morning. Before sunrise. There was a strange boom–not quite thunder but something big. First thought was that the roof had blown off. Second thought–I’ll wait until daybreak to see. And later when I looked around, I didn’t see anything. Because I wasn’t looking in the right place.
My neighbor to the left has (had) four 1965 Ford Mustangs in the back of his driveway. He’s an older gentleman, in poor health. In fact, he’s in-between nursing homes and hospitals. His wife is in the house. Their retaining wall butted up to this yard here. My fence was on top of the wall. About head level to where boy-in-red-shirt is standing. The noise I heard was the retaining wall falling over onto one of the Mustangs. Shearing off 3 feet of yard and taking about 50 feet of fencing with it. The neighbor’s son thinks–I’ll bet you can guess.
OK. He thinks that something has changed the storm water run-off pattern coming down from behind and above us. Hmmmm.
I’m thinking a lot of things. But mainly wondering…wondering. Understanding cause and effect–when vegetation is removed, when ground is re-graded, water goes somewhere else–just not clear on the karmic under story.
this is hard. and such an example of what’s done is done.
things you can’t Un do.
i am so sorry.
waiting for more about this…
love,
yep. what’s done is done. and really, unless something brings it to my attention, i’m really not thinking about it. that’s a switch!
oh i wanted to write at beginning of the saga..but we were traveling ..and now back at home..simply so sorry..we came home from vermont last fall t discover a new neighbor had “cleared” fort years of lovely hydrangea and pine..from the property line making our private corner of fire pit and late afternoon reading corner..open to his yard and the street behind…and it too led to such a change in water flow..does the name of the strew …marsh road..give you a clue and it was so horrid..and personal ..a ravagement of place and spirit…
but this is so huge..in terms of replacement.and effort and energy..not even including the damage to fence and car…i hope it can turn and twist into something good and new…a planting of something unthought of before..a change in sun patterns ..something..but in the meantime i am just sad that it happened…and underwear humor aside…it is hard i think because each time you do go out and look the skyline and treeline and bird life..the whole small chain of life in the sanctuary of your yard has been altered and it is an adjustment…it takes time these small grievings…
my neighbor with the wall said they would take care of it. some time. after they figure out why it happened. so. some day the fence may be back in place–the trees, though–gone for good. thanks so much for your heartfelt empathy.
“spirit likes to see us dance on the shifting sand of change”
wise words from my shamanic gardener friend Pete Webb of Vida de Clara Luz
http://www.vidadeclaraluz.com.br/
oops that’s sands not sand but you get the gist!
tap dancing here. opening the link and wish i knew spanish. studying the visuals though. thanks mo.
sometimes the earth just moves.
this is true. slips. i’ve seen plenty of them in WV. you never know which drop of water is going to be the tipping point.
you must feel so awfull…..this is a case ” nature strikes back” but if the tree away neighbours feel theire responsibility?
you bra solution..smile
love
that is the good thing–that mother earth draws our attention to our screw ups. i don’t think the neighbors even know about this yet. they don’t live here yet. and yes, the bra idea–i was looking at some size gazillion at Goodwill, imagining the visual statement. just imagining.