I'm So Sad.

My big ash tree is gone, and so is a chunk of our money. Let's recap.

In March, about 1/4th of the tree came down after an ice storm. In May, another large portion came down during high winds. Then on Father's Day, the portion you will see pictured came down during a storm. The only portion left was ready to fall on Joel's room during the next significant weather event.

So today was the day. sniff. I love that big tree in my front yard.

Our neighbors were also getting a new roof today, so it was a major cluster of trucks, equipment, and hot, sweaty men on our street today.

Of course I got my camera out.

Here was the tree this morning.

All kinds of trucks and equipment around today.

It didn't take long for them to dismantle my baby.

This shredder thing was cool. I'm glad Sean didn't see it, or he'd think we need one. We don't have any more room for any more tools.

Okay - apparently the technical way to guide a limb being cut down from falling on a house or, in fact, anywhere wrong is to stand, poised underneath it with another guy, each holding a much smaller limb than the one falling . . . who knew?!

going ...

down!

Uh oh, where are the two guys with the flimsy limbs?

We briefly discussed the idea of having them leave this portion of the tree so Sean could carve an eagle, or a likeness of me in my younger, more desirable years out of it with his chainsaw.

Then we thought better of it. I don't know that the homeowner's association would have been too keen on that idea. But it would have been fun to see how long it took for a letter to land in our mailbox condemning us.

So here's our pitiful looking front yard with nothing but a pretty fire hydrant and a pile of mulch where they ground the stump.

.

The back yard is way better:

My brother-in-law with the degree in horticulture says we should wait until fall to plant a new tree, so it'll look like this for the rest of summer. Bleh. Then whatever we put there will pale in comparison..
.

Oh well, it's just a tree, right?