Change of Scenery

We walked the neighborhood the other day to try to catch a yard sale 3 blocks over and I was amazed at how much things have changed over the last few years. Many of the changes have been sad ones with friends dying or moving away.  One neighbor has been here her whole life.

When this owner was a little girl, she saw my house being built in 1952. 

Three big old oaks and a crabapple tree were recently chopped down near my home. Remnants of the old oaks that provided so much shade (and added so much leaf bagging to my Fall days) are still here for the time being.

Not sure what the plans are for the stumps... a table? Can you tell which ring of Monkey Grass I trimmed last Fall?
(The ring on the left which has new growth from the stump.)

A block south and also a block east, homes were razed with new, impressive homes replacing them. It's almost sad to me not to see the old man on his porch smoking every morning. It was actually sadder to see him, a lonely man seemingly waiting on death.

New homes built over existing basements...

The house a couple down from his place appears to be gutted at the moment. The woman who owned the home died several months ago, a few years after her husband passed. A sweet old couple that I used to see from time to time on my neighborhood walks. Both active members of the community until they couldn't be any longer.

Always thought this house belonged near a lake...

LOVE the variety of trees in my neighborhood...

A balcony with character...

Not a house but I noticed a lot of these popping up after the rains and sudden mugginess.

It's exciting to see the landscape changing around here - out with the old and in with the new - but it's also sad to see so much of old Norman disappearing... And thinking about the loneliness that those left behind are feeling.