[Dafydd Wynne-Evans]

The following is a quote of Ansel Adams:

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The American Pioneer approached the Natural Scene in a very different way than we must now.

The land and its provisions were seemingly inexhaustible. The problems of existence were most severe. The Pioneer undoubtedly cherished his farm, his ranch, and his range -- representing something almost infinite in extent and bounty -- young, vibrant, ever-enduring.

Now, as the blights of over-population, over-exploitation and over-mechanization encroach from all directions, we come to love our land as we would love someone very near and dear who may soon depart, leaving naught but the recollection of a beauty which we might have protected and perpetuated. We must realize -- and with desperate conviction -- that it *is* truly later than we think.
-- Ansel Adams, 1965

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I've been reading a compilation of his writings (and photography) lately, this above just struck me.

I'm not a tree hugger... although I must admit that I have leanings that way. I have been an amateur photographer for many moons... my favorite subjects are landscapes and other natural wonders. I'm not sure I believe that the natural world will one day disappear, as some tree huggers believe... but I am sure that I don't want to see that day.

I have lived in Minnesota now for 9 years. My parents moved here long before I did; they moved to a rural area in 1981, near a town called Maple Grove.

The latest comments we all share about their area have to do with the fact that it's a good thing there's now a retirement home within a mile of their house! Over the years, they've said goodbye to many acres of forest, goodbye to many of the pesky deer in their backyard, hello to the honking of automobile horns and little bits of paper waste scattered here and there.

I grew up in the country (mountainous region of Washington State) and really miss it. The last time I passed thru Snoqualmie (where I grew up), I could unfortunately see much more of the land. It had once been forested, and is now being re-forested... still, it makes me sad that the woods had to go away at all.

Like I said, I'm not a tree hugger. But I sure do miss them.