Where do you live ?

[skb]

Relax. This post is not about public sharing of your whereabouts. It is inspired by various comments in the Fasting BG thread about members' environment. There is a lot of mention of the woods, birds, floral canopies and weather patterns. It seems that most of us live in natural picturesque surroundings, and that, is what if you detail here, will be wonderful. I'll go first. And I'll be bold.

We live in Mumbai, a city literally bursting at its seams. If ever, you want to see a sea of humanity, come here. Everything is overcrowded. There are close to 16 million people in a city that is triangular in shape and measures about 60 kms from its apex to the other ends. At the apex about 5 kms wide (sea on both sides) and at the bottom about 40 kms from end to end.

Always being a nature loving person, I moved in 1985, to a highly wooded area. We were surrounded on 3 sides by a research center spread over 110 acres, with a population of a few hundreds of people, but kept in  its original natural form, devoid of human interference. Beyond that, lies 3500 acres of a grassland / forest comprising of a government dairy establishment, and beyond that 100 sq. kms of a pristine National Park.

By virtue of the above, we were visited during different times of the year, by a variety of birds (large and small), snakes and animals ranging from squirrels to a full grown leopard (once).

Our area has been overrun by people since then. The main road, some 100 metres away from home used to be 12 feet wide. It's now 120 feet wide and there's always a traffic snarl on it. The research centre (110 acres) was sold to a major developer a few years ago. Systematically they have chopped the trees and now, we are surrounded by tall buildings (48 floors) on one side. But within 2-3 years they will be all around us. We've already lost most of our sunlight and our DTH TV signal.

Most of our bird & animal friends have left. Most don't even visit now. A couple of forest crows have turned rogue, and feed on a pigeon everyday. This (un)development though unstoppable, makes me sad. The whole purpose of building a house in a secluded neighborhood is defeated.

But when I read your posts, I'm reminded of times gone by. You're lucky, in the sense that wherever you are, not much is going to change. At least not in the immediate future. So, if you feel like, share your surroundings, and give flight to our imagination. 

[starsign]

I live in a terrace apartment overlooking the sea. have been here for decades now. Our building is a small one, and I'm on the 7th floor. We don't have many birds around us, just a few kites which have made a nest in one of the tall palm trees.

[patdart]

I'm living in N. Louisiana near Shreveport on the western side of the state on a 3 acre lot covered by many trees with a small grass covered yard, which gets smaller and smaller as my yard man gets older and older!    I have many wild animals and birds to watch.  A young black bear found our town last week and scared many, but he was captured and after being checked out was released nearby in a wooded area.  My joy is a large deck overlooking the woods where I have many plants growing in pots which I put out in the Spring and back in a small greenhouse for the winter months.

I'm so sorry about your area being urbanized, skb.  I know that must hurt a lot.

[Shanny]

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10154281249517067&set=a.10154281249722067.1073741828.632902066&type=3&theater

This is where I live . . . the commentary that accompanies the post gives you a fair idea of what it's like.

We moved here because the river was part of BH's childhood memories, and when, in his middle-age, he came back to find it, he also found this old fishing lodge with a FOR SALE sign in the yard. The rest is history.

[Rhiannon]

Right now, I live in a funky, unique townhouse built in the 1970's as student housing for a local state college.  I think it's quite possible that architecture students at that college might have designed the project.  It is a small complex of about 12 units, each stand-alone (meaning each townhouse is it's own separate building).   Inside looks sort of like a casual ski cabin, lots of wood.  It is not fancy, but it is quite cozy.  I have a little fenced back yard and the lot is bordered by a field where sheep graze.  I don't see them but occasionally hear them baa'ing.  Most of the surrounding neighborhood are single family residences.  But the amazing thing about my place is how quiet it is, for the most part.  I sit in the living room in the afternoons or evenings, and I can look out my back door and see the trees swaying in the breeze, hear birds chirping, see the occasional squirrel run across the fence line.  Sometimes I hear one neighbor start up his Harley Davidson and that is loud!  But then he leaves and quiet returns.  I will be moving out of this place at the end of July and will miss the serenity.

If I could live anywhere, I would love to have a little cottage near the shore, close enough to hear the waves crash and be able to stroll each day along the ocean's edge.

[Sweety]

I too live in Mumbai, India. We're on the northern end, close to the National Park that skb mentioned. The greenery can be seen in the distance, but not much around.
Hope it  soon. It's overdue now.

[starsign]

The grass is always greener on the other side ? Isn't it ? Shanny I love your house. You mention a river but it can't be seen in the picture. I'm certain it is to the left of the main house.

[skb]

Great environs, one and all. To emphasize my point, I'm putting up 2 satellite images of our area, the first in 2000 & the other 2016. The "pin" is where we live. You can see the difference.

BTW I edited my post, Mumbai has a population of 16 mill not 160 that I typed yesterday. And Indians goofing up on the ZERO is unacceptable. We invented it, it is said.


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[Shanny]

Shyam? This is astonishing to a country mouse like me . . . we've been in this house for 30 years and essentally NOTHING has changed except that we had to take out a few old trees that had died or were in danger of blowing over.

Starsign? You're exactly right . . . this is a blurb from the commentary that accompanies the Facebook page, and a picture of the house from the riverbank:


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[Grammabear]

When hubby and I married and bought our house in 1970, it was located on a quiet country road which was two lanes, 1 lane in each direction.  We were surrounded by open country fields, and when we looked out our kitchen window, we saw a herd of Holstein cows grazing on the farm located a little bit from our house.

Now, some 46 years later, the 2 lane highway is a 4 lane expressway with cars, pickup trucks, 18 wheeler trucks, motorcycles and other manner of loud, noisy vehicles.  The 'country' fields are being eaten up by tollway roads and the peaceful scene of cows grazing is long gone.  We bought the property because it was scenic and quiet.  Today it is anything but quiet.

Early on when we bought the property, we would see an occasional deer that was passing through.  Now the only wild life that remains are song birds for which we are greatful.  We enjoy their songs, especially early in the morning and at sunset.  Home is where you make it and although we sometimes complain about mowing an acre of lawn, I'm still glad we don't live in a more urban area.

[skb]

Shyam? This is astonishing to a country mouse like me . . .

You can imagine the surroundings in 1985. Unfortunately Google Earth "History" doesn't have images prior to the year 2000. That's the best comparison we could get.

[rocky]

like ya'll know im on deputation in saudi till end of july (hopefully). im here as a part of some training. work with a shipping co. that owns oil tankers. back home which is the city state of singapore i live in a complex of tall buildings on a higher floor. can see the ocean in the distance. it rains thr quite a lot. we call it home n i love it.

[bigskygal]

I live in the Bitterroot Valley in western Montana.  It is also known as the Banana Belt as the temps are a bit milder then on the eastern side of the state beyond the Rockies.  I have 1.2 acres with a seasonal creek on one side and an irrigation ditch behind the house.  The ditch has running water from early May to mid October. I really enjoy hearing it flowing.

I have cottonwood trees in the back and one side and aspen and fir on the other side. I have a bazillion birds, half of which I don't know the names of.  The ones I do are robins, black birds, pheasants, several varieties of ducks, kingfisher, magpies, swallows, wrens, the occasional egret, a hawk and eagle too.  They all sing just about the whole day long which I find very soothing.

Lots of wild life here too. Deer, raccoons, a fox, a lynx strolls through about every 6 weeks. I swear I have heard coyotes at night sometimes but have never seen them.

It is very quiet here if you don't count the birds singing.    

[Shanny]

I don't doubt for a minute about the coyotes . . . we hear them often all around us, but I think I've seen ONE in all our years here.

[Grammabear]

I don't doubt for a minute about the coyotes . . . we hear them often all around us, but I think I've seen ONE one in all our years here.

Believe it or not, we see coyotes here on a regular basis.  One of our neighbor ladies let her little dog out at night to do his 'business' and the little pup never came back.  Never found his body anywhere, but the night before my husband had seen a coyote in the neighborhood.  Coyotes creep me out.