A visitor to our state once commented it was "like stepping back 20 years".

Which, at times, can be a good thing.

Other times, not so much.

The dogs raised a fit Thursday afternoon and I found a young man at the door, in an orange safety vest. A roll of maps and blueprints in hand.

They're repaving the street on the south side of our corner. Complete with new curbs and gutters.

He wants to show me the tree they'll need to cut down.

My hackles are already up, but I'm civil.

We walk to the corner and, naturally, he points out the 50-year old elm that shades the entire south side of our yard.

No, the tree isn't actually in the way. They just need at least a foot of free space in from the curbing to set the concrete forms. That means they'll have to cut out that huge root curving from the trunk towards the southwest.

It'll be safer, and cheaper to just cut out the entire tree.

I cannot believe this ignorance.

I walk him over to the three 50-year old elms on the east street. And point out where each had to have roots cut off for the reconstruction of concrete curbs on that street.

That was over ten years ago. They're still here. Still firm, still alive. These aren't like the cottonwoods you're working with all over the rest of town. These are only halfway through their viable lives, not at the end. They won't blow over if they lose just one root on one side.

But no, they're still a liability to the town. Might fall on a house or car, and the town would be liable.

Well, any tree is a liability. Why not cut them all down, and live in the dusty prairie? Hell, the only reason we moved to this town was the shady streets lined with huge trees. Really.

Now, more than half those trees are gone. And damn few replanted.

Turns out, this reconstruction contract allows the town to get trees cut down for $250 each.

If they wait for the tree to actually die, or become dangerous, it'll cost them close to $1200 to cut each one down.

While the rest of the world is trying their best to save trees, and grow trees...

Our town wants to kill this huge 50-year investment of a tree, and destroy the shade on our property, to save $950.

Even if that $950 might not need to be spent for another 30-50 years.

Damn.

I been thinking about getting a nailgun...