Goodbye old friend

Look at that beautiful tree.  Specifically the 120 foot Douglas Fir towering over everything else.  For 140 years (or so) it has lived in that corner.  Of course when it began it wasn't the corner of our yard, it was probably wide open space.  Last winter we had a lot of wind and we, along with lots of folks around here, lost trees.  We ended up losing three pines on the opposite corner of the yard.  Each around 70 feet tall.  Tall but not big.  More like spindly pines with a puff of Fir on the top.  Good trees though.  When we had to come and have them hauled away, we had some tree people look at our Doug Fir.  Even though at that point it looked pretty good, it was noted by each arborist that it had been topped twice and that could mean trouble later.  Well, trouble was sooner than later and it just looked bad this fall.  I called up another couple of arborists to come and see it and they found several things wrong with it.  We discussed trying to find a way to save it but it had sort of turned a corner and he wasn't confident it could take the stress and his feeling was that it was weakend and not well.  So we made the difficult decision to have her cut down.  There is a lot of guilt in making decisons like this. We went back and forth and back and forth- consulted with several different tree folks and, if she hadn't been topped those two times, she probably would still be there.  We found out later that topping trees is illegal in the next suburb over and I can see why.  So this is what is left of our tree. Isn't that amazing?  Eight hours and four guys and the tree was just like that.  I will say, as sad as it was, it was a sight to behold.  I had never seen a huge tree taken down and it was pretty mind boggling.  I miss our beautiful tree though I will say this winter when the winds come I may sleep a little easier.  It loomed over two neighbor's houses and I was afraid that it would fall on one of them.  The one neighbor was sad but relieved too.  Once it really started to show the signs that it was an unhealthy tree, it was a little unsettling.  Part of the trunk just crumbled which made me feel a little better about the fact that it was probably dangerous.  The yard is now so bright in that corner- it changed the whole way the light is in the backyard.  We are going to keep some of the rounds to use as stools in the backyard and the rest of the wood will be donated to a group here in town that gives the wood to low income people so they can have heat in the winter.  That makes me feel a little better- the thought that the tree wil provide warmth to people who really need it this winter.  But I still miss looking up in her branches.  I wonder about all the animals and birds that must have been displaced.  I am sure we will plant another tree but it would take planting many trees to come close to equaling that beauty.   

Comments

[Lori]

oooo... more gardening space and no needles to clean up!
Lori

[Paula]

Poor tree! But you're so right. We KNOW there's going to be some big winter storms headed our way, so it's better to take her down now than let her fall on your roof!