Mystery Solved

Yesterday afternoon, I finally decided I needed to investigate where the tree cutting was coming from.  I started to worry that someone on the other side of our woods was cutting down trees that might ruin our wonderful privacy.  Our property is surrounded on 3 sides by woods, but our property only goes just so far into those woods.  If someone decided to clear the woods right up to our property line, it might not be good.

There is a little gravel road that goes beside our property, so that's where I started first.  It sounded like the cutting was coming from up that way.  I drove up there and found nothing and of course the tree cutting had stopped at that time, so I couldn't follow the sounds.

I then headed another direction, and found the source of the sounds I have been hearing for days.  It turns out there appears to be a large planted pine forest in there that had gotten extremely overgrown, and that's what they were clearing. They weren't cutting down the pine trees (at least that I could see), but they were clearing out the undergrowth.  Phew!  I don't know how far back that property goes, or if it comes near our place.  When Al gets back home, we'll have to go check it out more.  I was glad they had waited until after the bird nesting season has ended.

South Georgia is known for pine forests, good hunting and mild winters..  This used to be the place for the rich northerners to spend their winters.  Many visitors stayed in the fancy hotels, but many bought land and plantations.  The northerners changed them into winter residences, spent a lot of money on them, and changed this area forever. They built elaborate houses and stables.  There are over 70 plantations here today that cover over 300,000 acres.  Many of these plantations are now owned by large corporations who use them as executive retreats and hunting lodges.  There are only a few that the average person can visit.  One of them is Pebble Hill Plantation and it is an amazing place.  We took a tour of it a few years ago.  It has had some notable guests visit in its day, including Jimmy Carter, and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor.  Jackie Kennedy came to this area after her husband was assassinated. Many of the plantations host famous people for hunting trips on horseback, and I understand  Quail hunting is very popular.  Rumor has it that VP Dick Chaney comes here frequently to hunt.  It's all kept very private though.  One of the sayings I heard when we first got here which I found interesting is:     "they come from plantation money."    Anyway, that's the history of the pine forests in south Georgia.  Once the Florida was discovered and the railroad got down there, the rich northerners deserted Georgia for Florida.  I have to agree...the weather in Florida is much better in the winter!

This morning, I awoke to a nice 63 degree temperature again!  If it would just not get to hot in the afternoons!