Humans Are Stupid

I miss seeing this, the sight of a doe and her fawn behind our house. For several springs, a doe would give birth in the field behind our house; on the rainy June afternoon this photo was taken, this doe stuck to the ditch under the trees by the lane. What an amazing experience to be so close to new life emerging in the wild. I always felt it said something about our energy on this property, how excited my husband was to have these animals close and appearing to trust us.
This photo was taken from an upstairs window in June 2012. When we still had trees back there.
Since they were cut down over the winter of 2013/2014, we have lost a lot of wildlife. We no longer see pairs of pileated woodpeckers. We no longer see bears. We no longer see deer. When their home and habitat and food source was destroyed, 65 acres in all, they had to move on, find new woods in which to live, get as far away from humans as they can.
Stupid humans with their heavy tread upon the earth. Lazy humans who claim clearcutting is more efficient and economical. Blind and greedy humans who prefer the "convenience" of heating with wood and oil instead of investing in more earth-friendly technologies like solar power and personal wind mills.
I am as guilty, as stupid as everyone else. Then again, I was a child in the 1970's and I remember the oil crisis then and the demands to conserve, to find new resources. Forty years later, little has changed. We aren't even smart enough to make replanting a law.
A green, wet day like today always reminds me of those rainy days in June 2012 when we watched this doe and her fawn for an afternoon, when we celebrated the safe arrival of new life, when we took for granted that the deer and the trees would be here forever.