Sad to see it go.....

[gimmethesimplelife]

The neighbors next door to me from Guatemala - wonderful neighbors, may I add - helped me out big time (and my cousin who I co-own this property with too) by removing a 13 year old sour orange citrus tree from the South Side of the house yesterday.

The insurance company (homeowner's) wanted it gone and there was not much that could be done about it and I even think it was a fair call on the insurance company's part as the tree was starting to overhang the roof. So it's wise to have it gone, I get that.

I just don't like seeing it gone. I remember the day I planted it and the drama that was going on in my life at that time and somehow I've found some strength over the years that this tree took and flourished where I planted it just like I have tried to when I can.

I did put a Ruellia plant (a low growing desert adapted bush with purple flowers) in it's place but it's not the same thing........Rob

[early morning]

I'm sorry, Rob - I hate to see healthy trees go. And I have a lot of trees and shrubs we've planted that are associated with very fond memories; I get what you're saying. so sad. Around here, if trees overhanging roofs would disqualify one from insurance, there wouldn't be an insured home within miles, lol. That said, we have a huge old and distressed maple that really DOES have to go; if it falls, it could hit our home, and the neighbors, and block the road to boot. I REALLY need to call a tree company; it's not going to be a job for amateurs. *sigh*

[Float On]

Sorry. I know out that way there aren't as many trees as the mid-west and that would make me sad to lose a mature tree. We woke up one Easter Sunday about 18-19 years ago to 12 trees down in our front yard. Thankfully none hit the house and I still have a tree covered front yard even without replacing any we lost in that wind storm.

[catherine]

Oh, that sucks, rob. I know how you feel. In my area two things have happened that have been the death knell for many trees in my neighborhood--Emerald Ash Borer, which has infested all the ash trees. When the neighborhood was built in the 70s, the developer and the township lined all the streets with ash trees, and they are all mature now, but most are showing signs of disease. So people have been cutting them down rather than treating them.

On top of that, we lost a lot of limbs in the March storm that put a lot of heavy snow stress on our trees. As a result many of my neighbors just got spooked and are just removing all the trees on their property!! Every day I hear a tree company buzzing down trees. The neighborhood is starting to look like a Monopoly board with houses just plopped on bare lots. I hate it.

And like you, I tend to have a "relationship" with my trees, and it's so sad to see them go. When I finally have to have my ash taken down, I'm going to have to leave and let my husband supervise. It will be too difficult to watch. And I, too, plan to replace the tree ASAP.

My condolences to you, but I'm sure your Ruella will be beautiful, too.

[Tybee]

Rob, I am sorry. I feel so sad when I lose a tree, and one that I planted--I'd be heartbroken.

Catherine, what a horrible scenario with the ash borer. I think you ought to sell that house and get thee to a permanent big house in Vermont! But that's just my opinion, of course!

We lost 1 1/2 of the 4 100 plus year maples in front of our house here in a big storm last summer. If I lost them all, I'd sell in a heartbeat--they are the only thing I really love about the house.

[Lainey]

I've also realized that I get used to seeing trees and enjoying them for years, and it's a mini-shock when they are gone. One of my neighbors had a large tree in their front yard that I think just got too big for the space so they had it removed. But it was a neighborhood touchstone, darn it - wish they could have been able to keep it.

On a related note, Rob, have you ever checked out the annual offer by SRP (local utility company) to provide 2 free trees to homeowners? The goal is to have trees planted around your home to provide shade to decrease air conditioning use. I did it several years ago and now have a Palo Verde and two Mesquite trees in my backyard (south side of the house) providing much-needed shade. Start making new memories, as they say...

[iris lilies]

Trees are The Enemy

More later

[catherine]

Trees are The Enemy

More later


I knew you'd weigh in with your anti-tree hogwash! :)

[catherine]

Catherine, what a horrible scenario with the ash borer. I think you ought to sell that house and get thee to a permanent big house in Vermont! But that's just my opinion, of course!


Thank you, Tybee--but I truly am hoping that this house is THE house for us. I don't think I'll ever be able to afford a big house, nor do I think I want one. I read books like Walden and 12 x 12 (about a woman who lived in a 12 x 12 cabin) with pure envy. And the times I've lived in small spaces confirms to me my dreams are not unrealistic: I've lived for months in a hotel room with 2 small children without feeling cabin fever, and I lived in a very small 1 bedroom cottage by myself without feeling the slightest bit cramped--in fact, it was freeing.

Not to say I'm not nervous about living with DH in a small house--he has such a big personality I usually need some spatial buffer, but we'll see. The way I see it there are scads of couples who live in apartments no bigger than my VT house, and they get along. I did some patient ethnographries with a videographer who lives in a 500 sq.ft. apartment with his fiancee, and he says it's fine. But he's super organized--he says that if he doesn't use something in 6 months, it's outta there. Now, I have something that those apartment-dwellers don't--3 outbuildings! My desire is to minimize and to reduce the burden on my kids when they have to sort through my crap, but I realize it will be a process.

Anyway, sorry for the hijack.

[Tybee]

Thank you, Tybee--but I truly am hoping that this house is THE house for us. I don't think I'll ever be able to afford a big house, nor do I think I want one. I read books like Walden and 12 x 12 (about a woman who lived in a 12 x 12 cabin) with pure envy. And the times I've lived in small spaces confirms to me my dreams are not unrealistic: I've lived for months in a hotel room with 2 small children without feeling cabin fever, and I lived in a very small 1 bedroom cottage by myself without feeling the slightest bit cramped--in fact, it was freeing.

Not to say I'm not nervous about living with DH in a small house--he has such a big personality I usually need some spatial buffer, but we'll see. The way I see it there are scads of couples who live in apartments no bigger than my VT house, and they get along. I did some patient ethnographries with a videographer who lives in a 500 sq.ft. apartment with his fiancee, and he says it's fine. But he's super organized--he says that if he doesn't use something in 6 months, it's outta there. Now, I have something that those apartment-dwellers don't--3 outbuildings! My desire is to minimize and to reduce the burden on my kids when they have to sort through my crap, but I realize it will be a process.

Anyway, sorry for the hijack.

Good for you--as you know, I am committed to upsizing right now, although this file project is freaking me out and making me question whether the upsize thing is just to get more storage space, and why I need so much storage space.
We have lived in too small spaces now for the last 10 years, and I am so tired of it. I used to fantasize about living in an airstream, but I think I was wrong.

I just don't know anymore.

[rosarugosa]

I am aligned with the enemy; I love trees! Sorry for your loss, Rob. We have lost a lot of our Canadian Hemlocks and it is truly a loss, because it take a long time for a tree to grow to mature size.

[Rogar]

Bummer! Loosing a nice tree is bad on it's own, but ones that you've planted yourself have a special time marker in the progression of life.

[pinkytoe]

The older I get, the more I like plants and trees of all shapes and sizes. We have two large spruces side by side and one is leaning precariously towards the neighbor's house and needs to come down. It pains me to do so both in the wallet and in the heart. I know it has nests in it too.

[Rogar]

I think nesting season for almost all birds most places is over by July if you can arrange tree work after then, although it's unfortunate to take away a good nesting spot. I had to remove a huge Blue Spruce whose roots were turning my driveway into rubble. It had several remnants of little unused nests you would never see from the ground. It seems like as a general observation that people plant trees and even perennials in places where they just won't work for one reason or another when they become full grown.

[lmerullo]

We've watched the hatching of multiple baby birds in the bushes along our lanai. When we needs to treat our house for termites, the bushes needed to be cut down to ground level. They are coming back, but not tall enough for nesting. I told dh that I was sad we hadn't had hatchlings. He then said there were babies in the tree but they flew off a week ago. Dang, I was a mother and totally missed it! Lol!

[iris lilies]

We spent a few days in Hermann, chopping down trees,dead ones, dying ones, scrubby ones, and all manner of viney stuff clinging to them including poisen ivy, brape vines, and eunonymous. It will be a couple years work of work on The Grove and we will have to hire some of it out, the dead 25’ tree is dangerous needing large equipment. But trees serve an important function on our hill, they attract lightening. Several have been hit in recdnt years.

Included in The Grove of scrubby junk trees is a mishapen young ash tree. Normally we would consider keeping it and tending to it to shape it into something nice, but Emerald Ash Borer precludes that decision. It is dead but doesn't know it.

Previous owners planted a lot of stuff, but didnt take care of it. The flowering shrubs are spindly and bare of flowers. But there may be some nice things coming out, we shall see. There is a pecan tree, DH identified an apple and a cherry tree, and I would love the small leaved holly tree if previous owners had not burnt it. There is another very tall holly tree that could have been beautiful if someone didnt mistreat it, but it is largely bare. shaped it, Ugly.

we have three large trees that are nice, a couple near the house and that makes insurance men ansty, but we shall see how these trees behave.

Also while we were in Hermann, DH planted aboit a dozen fruit trees to get his orchard started. Old tree out, new tree in.