A truck pulled up this morning and dropped off a backhoe right in front of my house. Funny, I don't remember ordering a backhoe, that's just one of those things you think you would remember doing. While I walked Princess to the busstop, the backhoe went to work clearning weeds from the parking lot next door. Ok. I didn't order the backhoe and they are going to get rid of the poison ivy. Groovy. I also found out today that Larry the Cable Guy has been cloned, several times judging by the guys working next door. They are all wearing trucker caps, flannel shirts with no sleeves, jeans, and untied workboots. It's scary. It's also this really weird game they play, only two guys can be working at any one time, the other four must be standing around talking. Around lunchtime, they decided to kill a bunch of weeds growing in the middle of the parking lot with a flamethrower. I kept expecting one of them to pull out sticks and a pack of hot dogs. Ok, boys will be boys and they were doing a good job. Until this afternoon. There is this beautiful magnolia tree between my driveway and the parking lot. It belongs to the gentleman who owns the parking lot. Sadly, they toppled the Magnolia. I stood at the window and cried. She was such a beautiful tree, she added beauty and grace to the area. But alas, she is no more. Princess is going to be heartbroken when she gets home. She loved that tree.

Bless the stately trees,
So regal, so tall.
Mourn the trees
Who are no more,
When there is no shade,
And the air is poor.
Twas the vain folly of man
To topple the trees and strip the land.
-Angelvista, 2006