change

I have always believed that the only thing in life that is constant is change. I am not generally opposed to change, however the landscape around our home is changing dramatically and not for the better. I would never have described myself as a "tree hugger" (though I am fond of trees to be sure). Yet now the trees around us are being cut down at an alarming rate and it saddens me, so I think I may have stepped over the line and become a *gasp* "tree-hugger. A little late unfortunately because there are no more trees to hug.
Don't it always seem to go that you don't know what you've got till it's gone?

This is what has happened a few hundred feet from our house in the past few days. (I will post some pictures I took over the past two months first so you get an idea of what it "used to" look like)

These two pictures were taken on February 20th:

When I was coming home from work on Tuesday March 23rd I noticed this contraption on the corner. A sign of some things to come, or should I say more accurately a sign of things to come down.

And here is what it looked like yesterday - March 24th:


I honestly do not believe that anyone could possibly justify to me why this is being done. Undoubtedly there are reasons and someone - or a group of someone's - believe this is making some kind of improvement or meeting some kind of need. I simply do not agree.