Paving Paradise by pflaume

Paving Paradise

Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you've got
Til it's gone
They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot....

- Joni Mitchell "Big Yellow Taxi"

This field with its large old trees and wild flowers is slated for a housing development very soon. This is the last summer when it will look as it does in this photo. I can't help but weep for the beauty that will be lost here in the name of progress. Sadly, this story plays out all over the world every day. When will we ever learn?

Here is a link to the Joni Mitchell song if you are interested:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgMEPk6fvpg

Thanks so much for your response to my moonrise shot yesterday. I was very gratified by your wonderful comments.
Big Yellow Taxi - one of my fave songs of all time. A lovely picture and a Fav.
July 24th, 2013  
A lovely tribute to this spot of paradise! It is truly lovely and worthy of a FAV!
July 24th, 2013  
@steampowered @eyesmile Paul & Gena, thank you very much for your comments and favs! It's always so fun to receive the first comments on a new post. You made my day with your positive responses.
July 24th, 2013  
Wow... that is a gorgeous field and scene. Hope at least parts of it remain.
July 24th, 2013  
Ian
That's a sad story, one that you're absolutely right about, as we plow on digging up these places. I'm a big fan of Joni Mitchell and this is a great photo not just for it's technical perfection and it's appeal but also for the significance of what it represents. Well done.
July 24th, 2013  
what a stunning place and such a shame to loose it to a development. The only hope is that they do it with respect for the environment and keep the architecture in harmony with the setting but sadly most developers tend to be driven by greed rather than sustainability. Beautiful shot
July 24th, 2013  
Beautiful shot and a lovely memorial to a soon-to-be lost paradise. The lyrics of Joni's song are sadly true ...
July 24th, 2013  
beautiful shot, has a feeling of the Hudson River School paintings about it. Sad to think this will be gone.
July 24th, 2013  
Wow, that is so pretty. Wish that they would keep the tree when they develop!
July 24th, 2013  
Such a lovely shot. It's sad when land gets developed but I guess more people means more houses.
July 24th, 2013  
Fav - just wonderful Lisa - how sad it is going to be gone soon :-(
July 24th, 2013  
It's a beautiful place, well shot in its composition and lighting . . . it invites people to sit down and have a picnic, to read and take a nap, and just relax. In fact, when I looked at it enlarged, it made me want to download it as a desktop image! So sad it has a concrete future . . . and glad you preserved the image.
July 24th, 2013  
fantastic place!
July 24th, 2013  
i share the sadness but so happy you captured the beauty for today
July 24th, 2013  
A beautiful capture and indeed a sad story. Very beautiful light Lisa, lovely shot.
July 24th, 2013  
wow! such a gorgeous place! love the lighting and the warm feeling!-- fav. I can't believe it is not going to be there pretty soon though :(
July 24th, 2013  
So lovely - good thing you got a shot of it to show future generations!
July 24th, 2013  
Love that song - but so sad its words are so apt for your gloriously beautiful image! You must be devastated! : ( fav
July 24th, 2013  
What a beautiful spot. Love that Joni Mitchell song--perfect for this. Fav!
July 24th, 2013  
So so sad, however I suppose people need somewhere to live, I love Joni Mitchell too Fav for song and gorgeous processing !
July 24th, 2013  
Wow that's very sad indeed. What a beautiful shot of a very beautiful place.
July 24th, 2013  
beautiful shot, harsh reality,worst creation of mother nature is mankind,who doesn't know how to live in harmony. What you do to nature it returns the favour in exponential factor in form of natural calamities,we cry , shed tears but do not take corrective measures, battle is on nature is going to win it one day, worst is yet to unfold..Time to wake up.
July 24th, 2013  
This is a beautiful image and a wonderful commemoration of what is clearly a lovely place. It's so sad to see these areas cemented! I couldn't help but think of the double attack of developers and the invasive species that are killing our beech trees and ultimately changing the forest and all the life in it. Irreversible damage...
July 24th, 2013  
Beautiful shot. What an amazing place. Have always loved this song
July 24th, 2013  
magical .... love that light ...and the tree almost dividing the foreground and background ..!!
July 24th, 2013  
Very beautiful place. Would love to have a horse and ride there, as when I was a child.
July 24th, 2013  
Wow so lovely, I weep with you as you said it is happening all over. Our passion and love of the land will only be a memory. So sad. Great capture thank you for sharing with us.
July 24th, 2013  
This is beautiful... why oh why do we have to ruin nature's beauty?
July 24th, 2013  
Jo
NO they can't do it, can they not see the beauty before them, so beautifully capture in your shot.
July 24th, 2013  
Tim
I know just what you mean Lisa. I suppose they call it progress but at such an expensive price. It really does look a marvellous place such a pity it is to be built on.
July 24th, 2013  
That is absolutely beautiful! I guess new homes are needed but oh, what a shame it has to be just there!
Gorgeous capture, Lisa but sad that it's destined to become a reminder of what once was.
July 24th, 2013  
That is so sad. Such a crime really. You are right though it is happening everywhere. Heart breaking.
July 24th, 2013  
Lovely that you have been able to capture the beautiful scenery before they build on it ....... such a shame to spoil such a view. Gorgeous shot and a fav :D
July 24th, 2013  
This dilemma is everywhere in the world between keeping the natural beauty and housing the mankind. I can only hope for sympathetic architects with design that blend with nature rather than intruding.
July 24th, 2013  
Can't believe this is all going to go. You've portrayed it as such a beautiful place. But as you say, this kind of thing happens all the time.
July 24th, 2013  
A very lovely landscape Lisa. This is great viewed large
July 24th, 2013  
What a beautiful spot, and what a tragedy that it's going to be developed. Somewhere like this should be left pristine
July 24th, 2013  
Lovely light and colours , great shot
July 24th, 2013  
So sad. This is a beautiful photo of a gorgeous place!
July 24th, 2013  
So beautiful ! Golden colors, fine atmosphere, great composition, Fav!
...Ooh, and just now read your description at the photo...I weep with you
July 24th, 2013  
Lovely shot - you have a magic touch when it comes to landscapes - such beautiful velvety greens here. Sad times though that this pretty landscape will go.
July 24th, 2013  
Pea
Such a gorgeous shot and processing Lisa. Sad story though, what a shame
July 24th, 2013  
Lisa at her very best you have captured history superbly - fav
July 24th, 2013  
Really lovely photo to commemorate this area. You should re-take it after the development (or even during) as a way to compare.
July 24th, 2013  
Lee
Lovely image.
July 25th, 2013  
Meg
a pretty photo with the sun shining in...maybe there will be a beautiful place set aside for a meadow or pond or something in the development.
July 25th, 2013  
Kev
Great capture - one to keep...
July 25th, 2013  
Amy
awesome composition and lighting
July 25th, 2013  
Another stunning shot Lisa. The tones are just gorgeous and give the photo such a nice feel. A fav!
July 25th, 2013  
That sure brings back memories! I find myself singing that song a lot- and not just about ecological things- but commentary aside- sad story about your beautiful field, but a lovely picture. Hopefully they will leave some green spaces among the buildings so that some of paradise will still be left.
July 25th, 2013  
Caz
Beautiful image Lisa, love it. So sad it's going to disappear in the name of "progress" Fav
July 25th, 2013  
What a shame! It's certainly a picturesque spot!
July 25th, 2013  
these tones are beautiful!
July 25th, 2013  
Gorgeous photo, Lisa. Thank you for sharing that beautiful spot with us.
July 25th, 2013  
As long as people keep making more people, the population will increase and paradise will diminish. At least we can be grateful we live in Idaho, Lisa. Just think - I moved from the San Francisco Bay area, where the local population is triple our entire state! Good job showing what we are about to lose.
July 25th, 2013  
Mac
Glorious shot, Lisa. I sing that song a lot these days. You did nature proud.
July 25th, 2013  
Stunning Lisa. Fav
July 25th, 2013  
Wonderful fairytale-ish view and you captured it beautifully, so sad it will be gone, when will we ever learn indeed.
July 25th, 2013  
Sad is definitely the word. There are so many run down areas in cities and towns do they really need to continue concreting over such beautiful spaces. As as you lovely shot shows this is a truly beautiful place.
July 25th, 2013  
This is such a beautiful place which you have photograph beautifully too Lisa, its very sad. ! I agree with Paula @paulaw about the run down places.
July 25th, 2013  
Such beautiful composition on this shot. A FAV!! Sorry to hear it will go away :(
July 25th, 2013  
Beautiful shot, sad story. It all comes down to making a buck.
July 25th, 2013  
Beautiful.So sad to lose it to construction
July 25th, 2013  
Gorgeous! Such a loss.
July 26th, 2013  
Sad!
July 26th, 2013  
Beautiful image and then I read the post below...gosh that's really sad. I work in planning and development myself but would never put my name to something I wouldn't feel happy about driving past 10 years later, so we turn away a lot of work and its probably the reason I'm still driving round a battered old golf! This appears to be out in open countryside, in England our planning policy is pretty strict on this and we would usually have a special designation to protect such an area, for now anyway. Thanks for sharing such an interesting post.
July 26th, 2013  
Fav for me too. How terribly sad that this will be lost soon. Gorgeous shot Lisa, really captures the beauty, which is so often transient and gone before we know it. When will we learn.
July 26th, 2013  
Beautiful landscape, so sad to hear it will soon disappear!
July 27th, 2013  
Lovely, lovely composition, Lisa! And those Joni Mitchell words are so genius.
July 29th, 2013  
Stunning scene:) so sad to see it go
July 29th, 2013  
Gorgeous tones and scene! Well done!
July 29th, 2013  
Fantstic!
July 30th, 2013  
This is a beautiful site and yes the same is happening all over the world. Makes me so sad and in many cases it's for second and third homes. We won't learn until it's too late.
July 30th, 2013  
A regular recurring tune in my head... and what a perfect depiction of it. Your composition and light bring out the edenic quality of this place.
July 31st, 2013  
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