I admit it for all to see: \u00a0I’m a tree hugger.<\/p>\n
Twenty-five years ago we bought a wooded lot, to build our home. \u00a0It was filled with mature trees and rough areas where trees had fallen. \u00a0The only place to situate the house was in an area of very old pear and apple trees. \u00a0It nearly killed me to have to give them up. \u00a0I managed to save two of each kind, and two of the pears and an apple tree are still with us after all these years.<\/p>\n
We left the rough areas as passage for wildlife (and barrier from our neighbors). \u00a0Woodpeckers, dozens of other birds, raccoons, deer, coyotes, skunks and the neighbor’s cats and dogs all find the area interesting.<\/p>\n
It became apparent that we were going to have to take down pods of trees at two corners of the house. \u00a0The trees had reached old age and died off and there was no doubt that \u00a0they would land on the house one day, so we hired a tree service to bring them down. \u00a0It was fascinating to watch, but I was very sad to see them go. \u00a0The shade around the house had changed, and the view out the sky lights showed a lot more sky. \u00a0Still, my favorite tree of all, a HUGE evergreen, was still there. \u00a0We communed every morning through the skylight, as I dressed.<\/p>\n
That is, until last Thursday. \u00a0We were eating a late dinner when we heard a terrible thump. \u00a0It had been raining all day, one of those freakish warm days following six weeks of arctic cold. \u00a0The rains had given over to very high gusts of wind when the house shook. \u00a0 We both went to see if we could tell what had happened.<\/p>\n
At first there didn’t seem to be anything wrong. \u00a0Whew…missed the bullet again. \u00a0Then, I walked into the office and discovered bits and pieces of drywall on the floor. \u00a0I looked up and saw a branch about 3″ wide jutting 15″ into the room right where the ceiling and the wall meet. \u00a0At that point, I could hear Dear Husband above me in the attic, counting holes in the roof. \u00a0At least four branches from the upper part of the tree pierced the roof.<\/p>\n
We have been very lucky. \u00a0The rain had stopped, and the temperature had dropped again, so we didn’t have water pouring or dripping in the holes. \u00a0The heavy part of the tree didn’t hit the house. \u00a0We have a tree service coming today to cut back the tree so the damage can be assessed. \u00a0They will have to bring in a crane to support the trunk so that it won’t swing into the side of the house once the branches are cut off. \u00a0Luckily, we have insurance that will cover the tree removal.<\/p>\n
So, we have at least four holes in the roof. \u00a0We’ll need new shingles, and plywood cladding and whatever else went into making our roof. \u00a0We’ll need a new stretch of gutter and soffit. \u00a0It’s possible that we might need some bricks replaced. \u00a0And, we will need drywall and paint in the office.<\/p>\n
Oddly, all that isn’t bothering me terribly. \u00a0It can all be fixed. \u00a0But, my favorite tree is gone, and when it came down, it took out my second favorite tree, a beautiful mature star magnolia. \u00a0The view out my skylight, and the view out my office window are both terribly bare and I won’t get to see the magnolia bloom this spring after a winter of anticipation.<\/p>\n
I’m \u00a0tree hugger. \u00a0These trees were my friends and I feel their loss.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I admit it for all to see: \u00a0I’m a tree hugger. Twenty-five years ago we bought a wooded lot, to build our home. \u00a0It was filled with mature trees and rough areas where trees had fallen. \u00a0The only place to … Continue reading