I finally drove up the new development this evening for a sunset beer. The feeling of melancholy is strange. The experience of seeing this happen first hand has been eye opening. Not angry or bitter just awareness of how the world works. “Us & them” is right. We are only ordinary men... we tried to put up a little fight, but it didn’t matter much. City council meetings, freedom of information act requests, rallying, attempted organization... doesn’t matter, they just rewrite the rules. I get it. All this prime land in a hidden oasis 12 minutes from the ocean? What’s always done will be done. Pound the boulders in to rubble, push out all the wild life... no more room for the coyotes hawks or owls. Won’t matter much when all the sidewalks and streetlights go in. Environmental impact study? Community opinion? see how it works? It’s strange finally feeling at home somewhere and already knowing it’s gone. Strange times. They know what they’re doing. All it takes is the rest to fall like dominos. The egg farmer across the street who only drives a tractor daily? The nursery next door? The old man up the street sitting on acres? Us weirdos over here trying to live outside the system a bit and be free? They all have their price to sub divide and conquer. Pave paradise and put up a parking lot. With gated communities comes gated mindset, we will be the unwelcome types in our own neighborhood. We have too much freedom. We do what we want whenever we want. They can’t stand it. So for that feeling I am forever grateful for this place and the people who enabled me to be here. Wherever the next place is, I hope to chase the feeling of here forever.