My nectar this afternoon is work and blogging. Taking a break from the heat and in between finding a photo or sharing a thought.

As I was looking at this shot, I was reminded of all the development in this county. How much of the natural beauty we have replaced with concrete buildings and asphalt parking lots. Or multi home communities and strip malls. I’ve lived here for over 6 decades now and the change is nothing less than dramatic.

Today I’m not going to judge the past mistakes or greatness of the development. There is a good bit of both. But looking forward, the pace just can’t continue. Many feel we crossed the tipping point long ago. We may have. There are parts of the county that have become a congested mess.

No matter how many lanes we add, the traffic still comes to a stop.

I see a few Farmlands Forever signs when driving the country roads of the county. But how many will survive our future and not be turned into residential or commercial properties?

I’ve dealt with the changes by moving to a part that was remote, but development has caught up to us over the last 4 decades bit by bit. Sometimes large chunks like Waverly Woods which I think were around 700 acres. It’s no longer woods.

But a lot of small track development also. Neighborhoods shoehorned in between existing ones and some packed so tightly you can spit and hit your neighbor’s house. And these are close to 7-digit homes. McMansions built on postage stamp lots. And then you have the real rich who like their 3-10 acres spreads with custom built spectacles that now dot more and more of the county.

Think I’ll get involved and try to slow this down. Maybe county officials just haven’t heard the right argument yet.

Howard County Maryland has been a great place to live. Lots will complain about it. Maybe I just grew up in the right time and place in it.