Get on up, look around

Can’t you feel the wind of change

Get on up, test the air

Can’t you see the wind of change

– Wind of Change, written by Barry, Robin & Maurice Gibb © 1975

One of the things which attracted us to our present home in 2013 was the open field across the road from our house. On some years, corn would be planted in this field; in other years, soybeans. The crops have been good neighbors and we have enjoyed the relative peace, quiet, and calm.

All of that is about to change.

Last year, the farming family who owned the land across the road from us sold it to a development company which promptly announced plans to build a mixture of houses and “multi-family dwellings”. We are still not sure if that means apartment buildings, duplexes, or both.

This is going to be a major change for this area.

Yes, in a few years, this lovely field across from our house will become…a subdivision.

There was a time, back in 1960 when the house in which we live was first built, that there were no houses behind this house either. However, somewhere along the way, that land was also developed and turned into a subdivision. We are indeed fortunate that the people behind us, for the most part, are good neighbors who do not disturb the peace and do not bother anything or anyone.

We can only hope the same for what is to come in the field across the road from the front of our house.

When the construction begins (and we do not yet know when that will be), we can say…

Farewell to the trees.

Farewell to the corn and soybeans.

Farewell to the peace, quiet, and tranquility.

Hello to a large influx of new neighbors. That in and of itself is not a bad thing at all, of course, but –

Hello to a lot more traffic and, more than likely, more noise.

Hello to a different way of life.

It’s rather sad, really.

But such is the price of “progress”.