Graham Creek Nature Preserve

We took advantage of the nice weather to go see Graham Creek Nature Preserve (in Foley) for the first time.  (Click through the slideshow above, if you'd like to see the rest of my photos.  Donald took some, too, but we haven't processed those, yet.)

Our verdict:
It's not spectacular-- no stunning waterfalls or other breathtaking views--  but it offers a nice little nature hike.  Also, it's still under development, so it should get only better with time. 

We took the 3-mile walking/cross country trail, and that was enough to remind us that it still gets warm in the middle of the day in September-- just enough to work up a good appetite for lunch.  There are a few "open-air" picnic tables, and there are probably more under the pavilion, but we didn't look.  (There were already cars parked there.)  The picnic area was a quiet, peaceful spot in the shade.  Of course, this was a Friday morning in early fall; it might be less quiet and peaceful on summer weekends.  ;o) 

Oh, and before I forget, the trail we took was very easy.  There was one wet spot near the beginning, but other than that, nothing remotely difficult.  Very level.  Wide pathway.  Mostly shaded (but that depends on the time of day, of course).  Grass cut short.  The grass was a little taller in the parts of the trail that skirt around the open field, but not terrible. 

A good part of the trail involves walking around the edge of that huge field.  I wasn't sure how I felt about that choice.  It seems a little boring-- but on the other hand, you have a view instead of being closed in on all sides by pine trees (as you are for a short portion of the trail).  Upon reflection, I think it provides some interesting variety from the typical "forest hike".

In addition to the walking/hiking trails, there's a 7.5-mile bicycling trail, lots of streams for canoeing/kayaking, a (developing) frisbee golf course, a small play area for children (also looks to be developing), a large open field (or two) ideal for kite-flying, and a very nice "bog" landscape where there were many pitcher plants growing. 

(Sidenote:  If you're interested in seeing pitcher plants in our area, I'd recommend the Graham Creek Nature Preserve over Tarkiln Bayou.  Maybe we've just had bad luck/bad timing with Tarkiln, but they never seem to have nearly as many pitcher plants as this place did-- and here, instead of being on a railed boardwalk, you're right on level with them, which is nice if you want to get a closer look or take photos.)

The preserve is open from dawn until dusk-- but someone had a little pop-up tent set up, so I guess that camping is allowed.  (Not sure...) 

There's no entrance fee (yet).  

It looked like they had fairly nice restroom facilities, but we didn't check them out.  Still, nice to know they're available!

We saw a couple groups of people working while we were there-- one building something (no idea what) near the entrance and another setting up obstacles for a special running event that's coming up soon.  (The "Creek Crawl".  Click "Events" on the page linked above for more info.)  Not long ago, they had another run-- something about zombies, where volunteers dressed as zombies tried to tag the runners.  (No thanks, but can you imagine the adrenaline rush of running from someone?  ...Knowing that they're not actually going to hurt you would keep it from being a nightmare, but being chased/grabbed at would still kick those legs into gear.)

I'm interested to see how the preserve grows and changes.  We could use more places like it!

Oh, and One More Thing ;o)

Since writing my last post, it has come to my attention that the "no closer than 40 feet" rule has something to do with a goal to "Preserve the Beautiful Rural Nature of B-------- County's Roads" (or some other such nonsense to that effect).


Point Number 1:  
In that case, O Brilliant Minds of Local Government, why not have a rule that you can't build within 40 feet of the road (as opposed to one's property line)?  If I didn't make it abundantly clear before, we live-- and our property line lies-- way off the road.  There's no way our garage will affect the nearest county road at all.  I doubt you'll even see it from the road, and if you do, you'll have to be looking for it (which isn't a safe driving practice).  In the next twenty or thirty years, two or three more houses could easily be built between our garage and that road.  So... basically what I'm saying is that you need to re-write your dumb rule for it to make any sense at all.

(Oh, and if/when we alter the property lines so that our proposed garage will satisfy the zoning ordinance or whatever it is, the garage will be the exact same distance from the road as it would be if you DIDN'T put us to this unnecessary expense and trouble.  ~youdarnstupididiots~   ...See my point?  No?  Oh.  Well, I tried...)


Point Number 2:
I am a native and lifelong resident of this county, and in general, I like it (though you shouldn't ask me what I think about its government, right now).  I think that it has at least its own fair share of natural and man-made beauty-- but let's just be honest.  Like most large counties, there are also plenty of eyesores right off many roads, in very plain view.  Junky trailers.  Run-down or abandoned buildings.  Overgrown fields of weeds.  Our proposed garage, even if it was closer to the road and not hidden by eleventy-hundred trees and shrubs, would not be as offensive to the eye as hundreds of other extant spots along the county roads.

Just sayin', is all (as the cool folks put it).

On Building Permits & Idiotic Zoning Laws

You decide to build a garage on your property, which is way off the nearest county-maintained road.  You try to follow the rules by going to get a building permit, even though you really feel that it isn't any of the county's business, anyway, where / when / how you build said garage.  (Seriously, why must you pay the local government for the privilege of building a simple garage on your own-- decidedly rural--  property, which you own free and clear?)

But still, you go to apply for the permit.  And then they inform you that you are not allowed to build it where you've planned it (and in fact, have already had dirt brought in and leveled, because who could have foreseen that there would be an issue?).  No, they say, it's too close to the property line.  You see, that's the property line that faces the nearest county-maintained road (which, again, is way off through hundreds of yards of trees), and any structures built on your property must be at least 40 feet away from that property line.  Now, if it were the side property line, 15 feet would be enough of a buffer.  (Our buffer is currently about 18 feet.  We had no idea our rural area even had zoning laws.  I am SO VERY VERY HAPPY to know, now, that it does.  Yippee, hurray, hurrah.)

You explain that you are way off the county road, and that the proposed garage, like the already existing house, will face the (non-county-maintained) easement... so really, that is the front of your property. (Through gritted teeth:) ...Right? 

Sorry, not so!  We, the Mighty and All-Powerful County Zoning Poo-Bahs do hereby proclaim that the front of your property is now and forever shall be that north-facing side, because of how it is oriented regarding the nearest county-maintained road.  But no biggie.  Just move the garage (extremely inconvenient) or have the property line moved.  Simple as that!  Then (and only then) we'll be more than happy to accept your money and generously grant you permission to build ON YOUR OWN PROPERTY.  You're welcome.

Oh, and have a nice day! 
We're always happy to serve!

They don't care that no-one lives anywhere near that property line.  Neither are they moved by the information that the land is owned by family, who would not care about the location of the garage and would sign a document to that effect.  Nope.  (In robo-voice:)  Does not compute.  Must not build within 40 feet of front property line.  MUST NOT-- MUST NOT-- MUST NOT...

~soul-weary sigh~

We're fortunate that my family owns that land, and there's not a house or something already on it-- so we can work something out-- but still, incredibly infuriating. 

One of the things I want in our garage, should it ever actually be built, is a punching bag.  No, seriously.  I mean it.  I need an outlet for my rage.  In the meantime, I guess I'll just have to hold it in.

BaldwinReport

I thought that local readers-- you know who you are ;o)-- might be interested in this blog that I just found: BaldwinReport.

The most recent entry says that a "county commission projection" indicates that the county's population will double in ten years. (And for those of you not familiar with our area, that's on top of some pretty extraordinary growth in the last ten or twenty years, too.) Frankly, it's not great news, in my opinion. I just wonder when it'll ever stop. Will the continuing influx of all these new people ruin the very aspects of the area that attracted them in the first place? Oh well. It's better to live in an area that's growing than in one that everyone's fleeing, I guess. At this rate, I may end up being a city girl without ever leaving the "country" behind! ;o)