images to enlarge.)
It was a gray day and the wind was blowing a little.
I vaguely registered the fact that the branches on the tree in
front of the house were shaking quite a bit. Nothing new there,
the squirrels often jump around on that tree and scold me
through my office window.
Then the tree fell over. Just like that.
If I had a slide whistle, that would be the sound effect I would
use for that action, a low, slow sheeeeeeoooooop, and it was
done.
The tree was apparently rotten to the core because it broke right
off at the base.
Fortunately, the bushes in front of the house broke the fall. As I
watched the tree gently toppling over, I was struck by one of
those "Oh, shit!" moments. You know the kind where your
watching something and it seems like it's happening in slow
motion but you can't do anything to stop it?
It was such a graceful, delicate fall. Carefully supported by the
front yew hedge, it's upper branches supported by the garage
roof; the tree formed a makeshift arbor over the front walk-way,
high enough for me to clear, but my husband, at 6'6" would
definitely have to duck!
My first thought was to call the neighbor, he's like my other dad
and I knew he would have sound advice. He did not disappoint.
The moment I mentioned calling someone over to remove it he
said, call the insurance company first. To which I responded, of
course!
After I made the requisite call to mom, (make that two messages
on her answering machine) my next thought was photo evidence!
The house was built in 1966 - 67. The tree is a Sunburst Locust,
planted when I was a small child of perhaps 4. The Yew hedge
was planted about the same time, circa 1967 or 68.
