They paved Paradise....

.......and put up a parking lot".
Well not quite paving and not quite a parking lot but the jist of what Joni Mitchell sang about in 1970 was the same.
Chaining myself to the walnut tree seemed a little too reminiscent of my formative years when there were real causes to fight and demonstrate over. The prospect of me on a one woman crusade with demonstration placards strapped to our enthusiastic Doodles, certainly raised a smile.
To be fair, the crusade was against ourselves.
As part of the development of Paradise, we are expanding the vineyard to utilise land that has been forgotten about for too long. Surrounded by vineyards it had only dreamed of being given the love and care of its bountiful neighbours. So plans were made, experts sought and vines ordered. The downside was the imminent removal of the 100 year old walnut grove sitting right between the two vineyards that needed to connect.
Both M & I love trees and don't like destroying things. We had pledged to replace all trees that were affected but we still didn't feel good about it.
M spent hours if not days talking to tree enthusiasts about the walnut wood to see if good could come of it.
I hoped and hoped that we would at least be able to have one walnut harvest from the trees.
As time was getting closer to their removal I stood one evening looking at 3 of the oldest and most productive trees and thought it was worth one more discussion. M didn't need much persuading but rightly needed to ensure it was manageable and viable within the wider plans.
I'm thrilled to say that compromise has been reached and some of the walnut grove will remain. We will still plant more trees but these few who have seen many summers will survive to see many more, and thankfully without need for a crusading woman attached to their trunks....
As Joni said ,  Don't it always seem to go,  that you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone "
I'm glad we realised what we had before it went.



For those who are interested, the full lyrics to Joni Mitchell's , 'Big Yellow Taxi' are below - and seem as relevant now as they did 46 years ago.
"Big Yellow Taxi"
They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot
With a pink hotel, a boutique
And a swinging hot SPOT
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 lotThey took all the trees
And put them in a tree museum
Then they charged the people
A dollar and a half just to see 'em
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 lotHey farmer, farmer
Put away that DDT now
Give me spots on my apples
But LEAVE me the birds and the bees
Please!
Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you've got
‘Til its gone
They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot
Late last night
I heard the screen door slam
And a big yellow taxi
Come and took away my old man
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
I said
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
They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot
They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot

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