As we near the end of a THREE year construction project to “underground” the utilities on First Street, I’m struck by how much “construction looks like destruction.

First come the no parking baricades, quickly followed by trenches. Next are the armies of workers in their beeping machines. Then there’s the seemingly endless digging up and hauling away. Ending in wet cement and cooling asphalt.Oh right, we shouldn’t forget the cutting down and grinding up of statley street trees.

It’s been like when God kicked Adam and Eve out of the Garden of Eden: a lot of shouting and shoving and sound and fury. All so we can have streets as smooth as glass, shaded by uniform street trees and abutted by federally approved sidewalks (with ramps!).  And oh yes, not a power pole in sight!

Dear guests, as you read this they’re  done with all the “heavy lifting” and our sidewalks are poured.  One of the two stumps which used to be grown trees has been ground down to, well the ground. It and “Mr.Stubby” the second former Liquid Amber will be replaced by a “large specimen” boxed Red Oak.

In exchange for our mature Silver Leaf Maple (80 to 90 years old) and our 25 year old Liquid Amber we will get  relative youngsters, stout but alive and ready to thrive.    That’s the promise.

We haven’t seen any of these specimen, but they will probably go in after a while.

You see it can’t be long because this will all be over by Christmas. That’s the promise…

and we’ve just had our THANKSGIVING!

Come to think of it,they’ve PROMISED US it would all be tidied up here by next Saturday the FIFTH of December. That’s the day 375 people will be touring our inn on the Annual Napa B&B Holiday Tour.

They promised.