"The Exterminator"

     On my early morning walks with Buddy, I have been noticing the neighborhood trees, particularly the trees that were aggressively trimmed after the recent hurricanes and ice storm.  Strangely, many of the oak trees have little sprouts up and down their entire trunks.  They are thinner than a pencil, each with one or two leaves on them.  They are not like anything I've ever seen before, as most oak tree branches are toward the tops of the trees.  I am curious to see if these little sprouts will ultimately grow into branches, as I imagine they will.  I also am wondering if this is nature's way of compensating for the extreme branch elimination which the trees endured.  I wonder that many of them even survived, as often half of their upper branches were cut off, leaving them decidedly lopsided.  I understand why this was done, with all of the power lines in jeopardy.  I just hate to see nature maimed by the human hand.  I am patiently awaiting nature's response.

     Speaking of nature, there is a giant maple tree directly in front of my apartment. It is an absolute joy to see, with all of the green leaves, birds, and squirrels.  It is a big improvement over my view from the last place.  The catch is, with trees come insects.  The other night, I was sitting on the sofa watching a movie, minding my own business, when something compelled me to look over my right shoulder.  Much to my horror, a tiny black spider was staring at me, so close that I could see his mouth watering.  I tried to squash him, but failed, as he was one of those that jumps more quickly than a Mexican jumping bean. Reluctantly, after having moved the sofa, I abandoned my futile quest.  Within minutes, I encountered a stink bug moseying across the living room floor.  I grabbed my trusty vacuum and sucked him up pronto.  In the bedroom, which is the last place I want to see any insects, was a small silverfish.  Him I was able to catch.  I hate killing insects.  Call me crazy, but I always say I'm sorry when I swat one.  (My thirty some-thing son will catch spiders, and release them outside.  I'm not that brave.)  My BFF intimates that the overabundance of insects is the price I have to pay for having a tree so close to my window that I can almost touch it.  I'll take the insects.  I can squash a spider or call an exterminator, but I can't exterminate bad neighbors, much as I might have liked to.  I relish the peace and quiet, which is interrupted only intermittently by the roar of my vacuum.