Cell towers

[avalen]

Driving through my neighborhood where I pick up the children, they did
a lot of construction recently and one monday morning I noticed a new
Saguaro that got planted. The kids told me it was a cell tower. I had no
idea! Then come to find out there were several mixed in there that I
had been driving past for two years. They just kind of blend in, but
then I suppose thats the whole point.
Some of them even have artificial "boulders" next to them to cover
the utility box.



This is the one I drove past all last year and never knew it wasn't real!

I've heard from other people that these cell towers are made to blend in and popping
up in other areas disguised as palm trees and other trees as well. I'd like to see some
other ones, can imagine one looking like a pine tree. If you see one, please post it
so I can see it too.

[Liz]

Good idea....I've never heard of such...will be on the lookout.

[mitch5252]

Ava, that is so cool. I never heard of them before. Here's a link to photos of several more:

http://images.businessweek.com/ss/06/08/tower/source/1.htm

..

[AlmostThere]

I guess it's a great alternative to the other. Makes me think that somewhere in the future our great great grandkids may be looking at all artifical trees that serve another electronic purpose. The feds could always hide cameras in them etc. Big brother!

[avalen]

I've often thought it would be nice to have
an artificial tree in my yard so that it would give me shade and I
wouldn't have to water it or clean up after it. Now that would really
be a novel idea and looks like it could be a possibility in the near
future. Although I would suspect an artificial shade tree could be
expensive.

[bluepinecones]

I had not known about these either. Really surprising what one can learn on this forum.
They look so real in the photos.
Ava - Maybe you could get crafty and build your own artificial tree???? Something to consider.

[Cedar518]

Here in the Adirondack Park, there are many restrictions and one is on cell towers. Height, etc. So they have put some of the pine tree ones along the interstate 87. I've seen it but have not taken a pic as I'm the one driving. We jokingly call them "frankenpines".

[mitch5252]

We jokingly call them "frankenpines".

LOLOL...frankenpines.

[avalen]

Ava - Maybe you could get crafty and build your own artificial tree???? Something to consider.

I've tossed the idea around in my head for several years, actually, since I moved
in here. Out in the back yard is a big pipe that comes up out of the ground, I've
been told it was a burp pipe for the sewer system and there is one every few
lots. Its just a 3" sewer pipe sticking upright about 8 feet. It has a 4x4 fence
post along side of it that helps keep it upright, well, I've thought and thought
about what I could attach to that fence post to allow maybe some vines to grow
on it and outward to fashion somewhat of a "tree" to shade my little kitchen
window. I'm still working on that idea to this day. Just maybe this will be the
year I actually come up with a plan.

[retiredhappy]

I like this - no ugly cell towers - just a new cactus. Now maybe the Navajo will let someone put a tower or two on their res.

[Birdie]

Ava,
I think it is time for you to shop for one of those bougainvillea that you see all over the greater Phoenix metroplex. They are quite beautiful, though stickery and make a lovely climbing vine with great shade. The red are the most hearty for the desert area. The very pretty light sage green and white, are not as hardy and cannot take a sudden freeze. The red will go back to ground and come right out again. I had them covering my wall when in Tucson. Four covered about 40 feet. They were climbing on about 4" square plastic gray fence looking stuff that I glued to the cement wall. Go girl, get that shade.

[BarbaraRose]

That is ingenious! But I wonder how much those cost to build compared to a regular tower? I suppose they just add the cost onto the cell phone bills. Ava, maybe you could drill little holes in the wood post and stick fake Christmas tree branches into them and make your own "pine" tree (and you could put lights on it for Christmas!).

[Nasoosie]

They say that our Frankenpine towers that Cedar mentioned cost a bit more than regular ones, but they sure do look better against the sky than the plain metal structures, at least to me they do. Some say they look just plain silly, but I am happy that they make an attempt to camoflage them!

[retiredhappy]

Ava, how about attaching an artificial Xmas tree?

[Getupngo]

Wow. I never knew ... I'm sure it really helps overcome neighbors' objections to having towers
in their neighborhoods. Maybe one is disguised as a neighborhood motor home!!