thwack.

Every year, the open space on the hill behind my house is razed to the ground.

that's the roof of my house there in the foreground

That hillside is a sort of urban-esque Wild Kingdom.  There's rabbits, feral cats, snakes, voles....I think there's even been a skunk up there lately...plus a wide variety of birds.   It's sad to me to see it get cut down, but that sad does not compare to the panic I feel when I discover that the hillside has been ablaze (not once last year, but twice).

The hillside is maintained by...I don't know who. The city? The county?  Beats me.  I should probably figure that out and see if there is a way to know what day it is going to happen.  As it stands, it's completely unannounced.

If I knew what day it was going to happen, I might shut my windows so I don't end up with a house full o' pollen.  I'd also make sure not to let the kitties out that day, because even though kitties are supposed to be scared of big loud pieces of moving machinery, I am always really freaked-out-worried that the day is going to end up like the wood chipping scene from Fargo.

Gaara, the orange cat, made sure to come home extra late that night, I swear just to piss me off.