Thursday, May 20, 2021

Uh Oh!


Oops! Someone didn't notice the "Low Clearance" sign on a huge oak tree limb that extended over the intersection of Jackson Avenue and Calhoun Street in our town's historic district. 

I wondered if the dismantled limb of that live oak and displacement of the sign that was on that limb resulted from someone texting while driving, talking on their cell phone, or a distracted driver's trailering a ginormous boat to the harbor's boat launch. 

That injured live oak took me back more than three decades ago when I had an encounter with one of those huge boats and its owner. 

My stint as a reporter had acquainted me with the town's militant garden club matrons determined to protect those stately trees that lined the main street of the small downtown business area. 

Walking back to my office from getting the daily report from police and fire departments, I was aghast to see a blatant attack in progress on a defenseless live oak by a guy standing on a huge boat trailered behind a pickup. He was sawing away at a large limb arching over the main street and blocking his boat's progress.

There were a number of other routes to the harbor's boat launch. I got his attention and suggested he take one of those alternate routes that had wider streets and fewer oaks near the street.  He was dismissive. I bolted for my office nearby and called the police I had talked to only minutes before. 

I don't know whether those officers truly valued live oaks or just didn't want to tangle with the women who wielded major influence in the close-knit community. I do know the law arrived promptly and halted the unauthorized amputation.

Back to the present. 

During the five years in our current home, we are often at that intersection with the low-clearance warning. It is tight with vehicles parked in front of a church and the parish's elementary school. And a number of the older homes across from the church have on-street parking as well. 

Traveling that route often involves stopping two or three car lengths from the intersection and waiting for an oncoming vehicle to clear the intersection. But everyone always seems polite and not in a big hurry. 

Hubby and I call it the "scenic route." We enjoy the changing of seasons evident in the landscaping around homes. 

Whether changes are from storms or from homeowners new or longtime giving their homes and landscapes makeovers, there is always something new to see. 

I guess deriving such pleasure from a simple drive--or taking brief strolls down memory lane--is sure evidence of old age! 

P.S. What is an easy way to insert an arrow beside the dangling "low clearance" sign in the photo above? The time of day wasn't the best light for that sign to pop out.

I tried tinkering with the "insert special characters" feature on blogger to put an arrow pointing to the sign, but evidently that feature is above my blogging IQ level!

Have a great weekend!

 

-30-

 


  

6 comments:

  1. I'm glad you called the police on that man!

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  2. that is truly sad about the beautiful tree and it will never recover. I hope it doesn't kill the tree and I am thinking the driver got a ticket and yes, proably distracted driver... as far as I know there is no way to insert anything on a photo in blogger, that has to be done on the photo before it is uploaded.

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  3. Who ever hit it must have some scars of their own.
    So glad you got that man sawing away on that tree stopped and maybe fined. You go girl.

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  4. Great stroll down memory lane and I sure feel sorry for that Oak now...I hope it will survive.
    I enjoy taking the "scenic" route to most places instead of going the freeway if I can. Too many crazy drivers on the freeway.
    Sue

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  5. I can't imagine someone randomly cutting large branches off trees, just to get their boats through. People will do almost anything.

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  6. I have always liked to take strolls down memory lane, and have loved drives as long as I can remember. The only thing, I got very few drives early in life.

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