A Complaint of Trees
 

In Hawkins by the Highway, the Live Oaks are withering.

Trees are dying by the dozens.

There is a preserve with wonderful walking paths -- really, the walking areas are grand.

The problem is that the preserve is encircled by homes on elevated lots and raised, paved, walking paths. It has created an unnatural bowl where water levels are high.

The gums, the pines, and the oaks are swamped and dying. Live Oaks are named as such because they keep their leaves. Some around Hawkins are bare -- the ones further away, up in elevation are fine, for now.

Two weeks ago, a blow started and a tree in the preserve fell across a fence and landed on a house. Next door, another tree fell over the iron-like fence and fell across another homeowner's lot.

Two days later, a Monday, a convoy of tree workers came in with heavy equipment and topped all the dead trees. On this side of the preserve, these trees are younger, smaller, but they too, died. They lived for years and years before the development. Like the centennial-aged live oaks, they couldn't take the wet soil from the unnatural landscaping.

What is most distressing is the old oaks that probably were alive during the first European treks through Central Florida; they, too, are dying due to root rot. Not a couple, many -- I counted around a dozen on the side facing Meggison.

Please walk the beautiful trail in Hawkins and see I exaggerate not.

I wish The Villages were concerned about this.

Which 'Highway' are you talking about - Meggison, Warm Springs, or Morse?

maybe either 44, or the turnpike? those would be closest

After the winds from the hurricane come through they'll be down if they're that bad.

The closest to Hawkins is Meggison.

Impossible. It can't possibly be the result of pooling caused by overdevelopment of artificially raised plots of land. How do I know? All the Villagers who tell me the developers don't make those kinds of mistakes told me so.

Very sorry to hear about this. Has this been brought to the attention of TPTB?

TPTB? What is that?

Tag line should read: Fully vaccinated twice boosted and got covid on a cruise, and lived to tell about it. Just a thought.
😶

The Powers That Be...

I guess, yes. The regional Villages manager came to inspect the home that was hit by the tree.

He told the owner, it was an act of god, and The Villages was not responsible.

Some tree removal was done 6 or so months ago when they were rotting and threatening another home.

So, yeah, I think the TPTB know, have known.

There is a widow-maker tree on the Hawkins trail right now. I walk around it, out of its distance. Maybe it will come down naturally during the weather events this coming week.

The Powers That Be

Will consider adding to my signature.

Contact The Villages, Property Management at 352-753-4022. They are very responsive.

I think they are referring to "301" which Warm Springs Rd dead ends right at the edge of the new Village of Hawkins.

Beware the hurricane....will be a lot worse

301 and Warm Springs is the Village of DeLuna. Hawkins is on Morse, south of Chitty Chatty.