8/16/2005

Urban Sprawl

"Once upon a time there was a Little House way out in the country. She was a pretty Little House and she was strong and well built." This children's classic by Virginia Lee Burton was always one of my favorites. And now I'm living in it. Ok, the house we live in is not really pretty or well built, but maybe at one time it was "way out in the country", who knows. We happen to be living in the latter part of the book.

Basically, our street and many around us are under constant construction of some sort. Older houses, like the one we are in, are being torn down completely and replaced by huge half-million dollar homes which really, you wouldn't have thought could even fit in their lots.

When we moved in, in January, the lot behind us was completely empty but a new, towering monstrosity (which I certainly wouldn't mind living in) was up in just a couple months. Now the lot right next to that, which is also basically in our backyard, is going through the same process. At least we have some privacy with our backyard fences, one of which was just replaced by our rich neighbor.

Our days are filled with the music of power saws and hammers, loud trucks and men shouting. I dont think you can ever walk more than 3 or 4 houses down our street in either direction without encountering large equipment of some sort. Ethan is really not all that impressed when he sees an excavator or backhoe, now that he lives among them.

5 comments:

Claire said...

I guess its time for you to put your house on a truck and move it out into the country again.

I can relate a little bit b/c the Shelter is under construction and there is constant noise and ugliness and it's getting old. And they start so early in the morning! I can't imagine how the girls can sleep in the mornings with pounding, roaring, and yelling going on a few feet away.

brilynne said...

I remember that book! Brings back warm memories. I always felt bad for the house, though...too bad you guys are getting squished, too.

Loreo said...

Probably in your neighborhood with its new houses going up you don't have to deal with looking at lots of dead cars in yards or blackberry bushes taking over the house on the corner, right? (Now I wouldn't be talking about MY street, would I?!)But it'll be nice when everything's settled, I'm sure.

CKS said...

Sure would be nice if they showed up at your house and offered to build you a million-dollar home to keep up with the neighborhood image...for free, of course.

Anonymous said...

I'm curious - what house belongs to your rich neighbor? Looking out your back door across the lawn - which direction? Gram C