Catherine sent me this image of a grasshopper lounging on the pup's deck chair on our patio. We haven't seen one quite this big for a long time.
Since the big tree came down in a storm recently (see previous posts), the ecology of the back yard has changed. The biggest change is the increase of sunlight where there hasn't been any sunlight for decades.
There has been great change to the property next door to us, also. The newest owners have completely cleared the land (I'm so sorry to see this!) of all trees and shrubs. They have plowed and put down sod that they maintain chemically. Many of the critters that lived there have moved over to our yard where they are very welcome. We use no chemicals on our property for a number of reasons including our dogs' safety.
Ah, yes, Summer....
Lois
2 comments:
Hi Lois....I'm curious about your neighbors' unfriendly landscape. I live just outside of Toronto, suburb of Thornhill: here, it is mandated that if a tree comes down, one must go up- or pay the municipality $1500 for re-foresting in another location. What are the rules in your city? Best wishes, Kim
Hi Kim,
We are inside the city limits here and there is no requirement to reforest if a tree comes down. I love the idea for properties large enough to accommodate trees.
Some people like to clear a property completely - it's so easy to cut the grass that way, you know. (insert sarcastic smile here) But, many of us like to keep our property as close to nature as possible. Yes, we cut the grass and trim the bushes. We plant flowers and grow veggies. We add trees for shade for humans and homes for the birds that we love to have share our property. We have bird feeders and bird houses to welcome our feathered neighbors.
We have two fireplaces in our very old home that keep us toasty warm so have a use for the firewood from our downed trees. Since we have plenty of wood from tree grooming (overhanging the roof, etc.) and downed trees, we haven't had to purchase firewood for more than 30 years.
Thank you so much for writing!
Lois
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