It’s time for a trim
When I was a young boy, something that always fascinated me was returning home from a vacation and seeing how high the grass had grown. The photo above might be misleading because this was not my childhood home or lawn. Instead, our family lawn was a typical urban lawn comprised of several areas defined by sidewalks, curbs, driveways, and fences.
The wonder of lawns and trimming them came to mind recently as I noticed that all sorts of cutting are being done here in Panama City. I have mentioned in earlier blogs that Panama City has a beautiful walk/bike/motorway along the Bay of Panama called the Cinta Costera (coastal strip or belt). The coastal front development was a multi-billion dollar three-phase project to preserve natural beauty while providing paths to walk, run, skateboard, bicycle, and bench rest and watch the more athletic world move by. It includes car traffic on Balboa Avenue (the Fifth Avenue of Panama) and a southside freeway. These auto strips are quickly and safely crossed by a series of ramps. Here are some views of what I am trying to describe.
There are a series of pedestrian bridges along the coast, and it is here that I noticed the beginning of the trim season. Parts of the bridges are lined with bamboo, which proliferates and needs a trim from time to time. See in this recent photo how nicely this trim job was done! Compare it to the no-nonsense trim job in my neighborhood.
The urban area of Panama has a variety of trims, some pristine and neat, others not. Well-to-do regions and tourist areas tend to be remarkable. In contrast, some residential areas will be less tidy if there is vegetation. But, I guess this is not always related to money and tourists. We all know about the neighbor who doesn’t water the lawn or put in a winter lawn, as is often done in arid cities like Phoenix.
This morning, I saw city workers trimming trees along Via España. Just yesterday, I saw a man on a ladder hand trimming the bushes in front of an apartment building into oval shapes. I am not sure why I am seeing cutting all of a sudden. Maybe I just took notice, or is this a good time of the year to trim?
Musing Through Life's Days and Places 