Havoc

Well the winds are coming up from the southeast and blowing the smoke from the fires down by the Okefenoke Swamp up across the entire state of Georgia. Downtown Atlanta was so smokey this morning you could hardly see. Very difficult to breathe outside. You can also tell from at least the first shot here, what has been wrought on my beloved hillside out the front. The 'owner' (and I do use that word lightly... because if he really 'owned' the land he wouldn't treat it this perniciously) got a permit from the state to mine dirt from the hill. Good to know the city of Emerson would not have given it to him, nor the county of Bartow, so now I know that I can pick on the good folks of our state. So the guy just comes in and plows down ALL the trees except for a sparse few that for some reason he left on the corner of the hill and now trucks are coming in and carrying off the dirt (ie the hill!!!) The Etowah river is full of mud whenever it rains from the run off. And horror of horrors I heard the guy is going to sell the poor hill and a hotel will be built on it. YIKES!!!! I personally am in favor of a vineyard. I think it would suit the hill perfectly and a winery would attract folks from all around (whether the 'dirt' would grow grapes is another matter :-), but I much prefer looking out my window to see a vineyard then a hotel. HMPHH!