MOSS
Our plague hideout is on a half-acre on Long Island, about 110 miles from New York City. We've had it for forty years. As a result of Emma's hard labor over that time, we have no grass. First, she removed the low brush and then the grass. Everything which would be covered by grass in a typical such property is covered here with moss.
The property consists of a house, trees, a pebbly stone driveway (in front and on one side, interspersed with moss), an accumulation of old leaves in the far back and all the rest is moss. If we consider 44,000 square feet as a half-acre, then I estimate that the moss is at least half of that.
The original moss has been encouraged by ruthless removal of invasive grass, transplanting surplus moss to needy areas and the occasional addition of new moss from gifts (the outstanding birthday gift of a moss-a-month for a year from our 3 sons comes to mind.)
What's the point? Well, grass is a typical example of a stupid fashion. In the form of lawn grass it is not an indigenous growth. It requires excessive watering, fertilizing and insect protection. See, for example, https://www.loveyourlandscape.org/expert-advice/lawn-care/insect-and-pest-control/5-common-pests-that-like-to-call-your-lawn-home/ Grass also has to be maintained by periodic cutting, a nasty labor with much accompanying noise. It is not comfortable to walk on barefoot. In short, it is an insane additional burden on the environment and the property owner.
Moss, on the other hand, is completely natural, requires only 1% of the water needed by a grass lawn (and, if it dries out, revives quickly when rainwater returns) doesn't need fertilizer, or insect protection, does not need cutting and is a pleasure to walk on barefoot. A news article from 2008 shows that we are not alone and may indicate that there is hope for the future of humanity - at least with respect to the ground cover they choose for their hideouts. https://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/01/garden/01moss.html
The "grass-moss analysis" can be done with many other things in society to which people are foolishly addicted. But that is not where I am rambling today.
Instead, the moss brings to mind my best friend in law school and for a few years afterwards - because his name was Moss. He was a handsome fellow in a generally Mediterranean way. Quite close to the actor Tom Cruise in appearance. The highlight of my first term in law school was a competition with him to see who could see more movies. No shortage of women in his life - or marijuana. He drove a super-powerful Pontiac GTO and I remember him beating out an aggressive taxi driver in an inches-apart race through the curved section of Park Avenue that runs under the Met Life building (at that time, the PanAm building.) One could say he had everything. Alas, he killed himself at age 28 - I know not why. There was a period of mental problems before that, which he attributed to adulterated grass.
Here endeth a genuine ramble into the past.
END
No comments:
Post a Comment