Timberrrrrr!

It�s the end of an era. When we built our house 14 years, we positioned it on our lot specifically to accommodate a lovely double pine tree that seemed to be 15 to 20 years old at the time. Around eight years ago the east-facing trunk died and we had it removed, but the remaining tree filled in beautifully and continued to grace the yard. This summer, however, it was attacked by some kind of blight and within a month of the needles first turning brown it was totally dead. Tonight we took it down.

Hubby�s tennis friend came over with his chain saw and his little dog, who is not a nice dog, and actually tried to take a chunk out of me when I was being nice to it. I, being the smallest and lightest, climbed up the tree and wrapped clothesline wire around it so that Hubby and Buddy Boy could pull it in the right direction while Lloyd did the cutting. While I was up close to the bark, I could see where some parasite had infiltrated it, leaving little holes everywhere, and where the bark was peeling off were the telltale insect grooves.

It was quite a show, I�ll tell you. The neighbours across the street even came out and sat on their front porch to watch. First Lloyd cut a wedge out of the tree in the direction it was to fall, then cut into the other side, angling downwards towards the notch as my menfolk pulled on their respective ends of the chord. There was a tremendous cracking noise and I yelled out, �Timber!� and the tree came down in a rush of branches and pine needles. Then Lloyd sawed up the trunk and the big branches, and we�ll cart them to a convenient spot to dry out or rot or whatever. We can probably use the smaller pieces for kindling when they�re dried out more, but there�s too much sap to burn the larger pieces. They�ll just gum up our chimney.

So sad. It was such a nice tree. I saw my first pine siskin ever perched in it. There is now a huge open area where I would love to put a gazebo, but there is a standing deal at our house where if I get a gazebo, Hubby gets to put a grand piano in the dining room. I won�t agree to the latter, so I am thwarted in my acquisition of the former.

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from ladybug-red :

I know how you feel about the tree. I have a diseased pine tree that we need to take down soon. It will leave a gaping whole in the line of our front yard and completely change the view of my house. Hubby remarked yesterday that he will take it down at the first opportunity.

from bindyree :

You know, what you COULD do is build the gazebo in the dining room, and he could put his piano where the tree was. See? There are solutions to problems! Compromise! :-)

from harri3tspy :

A tragedy! I fear a couple of our pines will soon suffer the same fate, but they�re hanging in there.

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