I live in Oregon.  Tree heaven.  The home of  majestic towering timbers that provide shelter for woodland animals and safe haven for endangered species like the northern spotted owl.  I honestly believe the term “tree huggers” was coined here.  You know, those people who chain themselves to beautiful evergreens hoping to save the green giant from the big bad antagonist of this story, the logging industry.  Very rarely do the tree huggers win.  Logging is just too important to the livelihood of Oregonians.  I’ve come to accept this.  I mean, afterall, trees are a renewable resource. 

 The problem I have is with clear cutting.  It just plain ruins the view.  I’ll be driving along, enjoying a gorgeous Oregon day, staring out my window and then it happens.  Before me, I see an entire side of a mountain where the trees are mowed down and lay like scattered toothpicks on the ground.  Save one.  They leave one lone tree standing tall at the top of the mountain.  Why do they do that?  Was that tree the lucky winner in  the “Save a Tree Today”  lotto?”  Is it some sort of marker for the loggers to find their way back so they can come and pick up their toothpicks?”  Or maybe they think that one lone timber will repopulate the whole side of the mountain by its lonely little self.  Maybe they’re just giving the beavers something to do.

  I don’t know, and I suppose in the “things that really matter in life” category, it’s a non-issue.  But I was just wonderin’…