i'm trying to be realistic about this, about the trees coming down, about the idea of trying to live as self sufficiently as possible, about trying to make it all work. but damn, i wasn't ready for how i'd feel seeing 16 trees on the ground instead of in the air. for those of you who have known me since my undergraduate photo work, you'll remember that my exhibition revolved around the relationship between man, the earth, and our attitude towards pillaging for personal "growth". imagine going from this study to walking up to the land on friday and seeing that my own lifestyle and choices directly went against my strong held views of protecting the trees. but what am i supposed to do? if we had decided to not take down the trees around the yurt, i wouldn't be able to live there. i know we can replant, and we will. but in the meantime it is difficult to explain that within 7 hours, hundreds of years of combined life were spent with the swift action of a chainsaw. we hope to utilize the trees by milling them and using the wood for structures on the land, and we have plenty of firewood. but there is a feeling of loss that is not explainable.