Trimming

Observer: Estella Yee
Date: 10-23
Location: Smullin Entrance
Time: 1004-1020
Weather: 50˚F; wearing-gloves-cold; foggyish, may lift soon

Small birds chirped underneath the tall 4-foot crimson spikes of snapdragons. Either chickadees or finches, I only saw the shadows beneath the bushes as I walked up the stairs from the basement. They were round, short of neck, 3 inches to 5 inches at the most in length. I heard short, high-pitched chirps as they rummaged through the ground looking for insects. Workers pruned a young horse chestnut of its lower branches and straggling tips. Another used a hedge trimmer to cut the grass and remove the buildup from the circle of bark chip around another tree in front of Roger’s Music Center. It was interesting to note that the workers were equally conscientious about their work and the people passing by along the walkway. They would stop their work to avoid splattering grass cuttings on others.’ At the same time, they seemed to respect the organisms they were working on, as if grooming them. They would carefully inspect which branch was best to remove to optimize the growth the tree and its overall beauty. Even though the trees were invasive species and could potential reduce the land of diverse plants, the workers’ labor was that form of respect that I thought we could all learn from. Tending the land as if it were an equal part of ourselves and an extension of our lives, is exactly what our earth needs in order to heal quicker from the misdemeanors of the past.