Every weekday morning we'll be featuring a photo (or two) from our readers. Please feel free to submit your photos (min 600px width) by adding them to the Austinist Flickr Group. Close Encounters BY CHAD DAVID ESTES......

Every weekday morning we'll be featuring a photo (or two) from our readers. Please feel free to submit your photos (min 600px width) by adding them to the Austinist Flickr Group. subtle things BY DAVISAYER......

Developers aren't the only ones making pie from the pecan trees removed for the BartonPlace condos. Tom Suhler of SideSpin Productions has made a videobituary for one of the trees, which he has named "Baum Verde." "Baum" is apparently a reference to L. Frank Baum, the author of The Wizard of Oz. Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain! "Verde" is a kind of salsa. According to his website, "Baum Verde, also known as 'BV', philosopher, mother, proponent for green living, and local human shelter advocate, died May 21. She was 89. BV's life was cut short at the hands of an arborist's chain saw to make room for the Barton Place Condominiums." ...

As part of the construction of the BartonPlace condos at the former site of the Shady Grove RV Park, several big pecan trees have been removed. The Statesman noticed and so did Marcia Ball, who apparently mentioned something about it while on stage at a Blues on the Green a few weeks ago. BartonPlace developer Larry Warshaw felt both the Statesman and Marcia Ball were unfair about the tree removal, noting that BartonPlace complied with the law and agreements with the neighborhoods, unlike another developer that recently clear-cut hundreds of large oak trees in Oak Hill. The full letter from Larry is reprinted below....

According to The Real Deal, Trammel Crow Residential has abandoned plans to build a multi-family complex at the site of Mercury Hall in South Austin. It is hard to tell whether this decision was the result of neighborhood objections or the deteriorating residential market. It is also hard to tell whether neighborhood objections were based on a love for the cathedral-cum-wedding venue, the numerous large oaks on the property or general objections to density. In any case, it appears that Mercury Hall will survive, at least until the next massive up tick in local property values....