Friday, June 24, 2005

a little piece of heaven

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"Nine miles from here", is a term you will hear me using often. It refers to the approach of development which is burning like a runaway prairie fire just nine miles from here.

The residents of an older community set aside what appears to be about 2 or 3 acres of land. Years ago it was plowed and tilled and sectioned off into small individual gardening plots, and each year the stewards of those plots raise corn, lettuce, cabbage, pumpkins, tomatoes....whatever their hearts desire.

This gentleman waters his small crop as progress looms in the background. Things look grim for these suburban farmers. The land their crops inhabit is too valuable as development fodder. At least three $500,000 homes, or one good sized strip mall could occupy this space. I wonder if they can smell imminent domain creeping down upon their little piece of heaven?

6 comments:

KatKit13 said...

It's like that around here too. Farm fields being eaten up by developments and warehouses. I cannot imagine they need THAT many ware houses.

There's a beautiful sandstone house in Naperville, that used to be a small farm. The residents left it within the last year. I have no idea what they're going to do with it, but it's a beauty. And surrounded by half million dollar homes and townhomes.

All in the name of progress.

I'll see if I can get a picture and I'll share.

srp said...

After what the out-of-control Supreme Court did yesterday, everyone is at risk. I thought one of the reason's we founded this country was so that individuals would have the ability to own property without the fear of a government seizing it. If they are going to allow this, they should make developers pay the person pushed out of their homes and off their land..2 to 3 times the land's worth based on worth after development.

Anonymous said...

This could have been taken just down the street from my suburban neighborhood. We, too, are experiencing the pains of rapid growth here in Kansas City, and a bucolic space such as you show in your photo won't last long in the face of "progress." All the more reason why L and I found the most isolated piece of rural forest we could for our eventual retreat.

Suzanne said...

Thanks all for the comments. Pablo - I check the Roundrock Journal every day to see what's happening in your little piece of heaven. We've similarly purchased a place for retirement, not large as yours but it is on top of a mountain in the Ouchita range outside Hot Springs, Arkansas. We're hoping that progress won't crawl up the mountainside. - Regards, Suzanne

Ezequiel Mesquita said...

This picture is really worth 1000 words. I know this is an old and used adage, but it's true.

Rurality said...

What a great picture. It's hard to blame the original owners - the amount they can make is staggering.