The only constant on my street is the rap-rap-racket of new construction—in the alley across the way and a few blocks further where an eight-story multi-residence will fill the space where once stood a church that distributed food to the needy most Fridays. Silent: Birds, squirrels, and other wildlife that lived in the majestic palm that city contractors fell four weeks ago. South American Palm Weevils destroyed the frond crown, killing the tree and posing risk of further infestation along the block.
I don’t know the motivation, but today my neighbor, who lives in the house closest to where the palm stood, planted a collection of succulents where would be the stump (assuming it was covered over rather than removed). People place, or plant, flowers at gravesites—and that’s certainly how I see the location where once towered a mighty wildlife habitat.
Living with the same neighbor(s) are Annie and Jasmine, both of which were recently profiled in my “Cats of University Heights” series. Six days ago, in front of their residence, and where was the tree, San Diego police officers detained a man presumed to have been involved in an accident involving a wayward golf cart.
I used Leica Q2 to capture the Featured Image and companion; time stamps are 5:32 and 5:31 p.m. PDT, respectively. Vitals, aperture manually set for both: f/5.6, ISO 100, 1/200 sec, 28mm. The other is the same but 1/250 sec.