Seventy-three

That's how many rings I counted in the stump of a red oak tree that was cut down yesterday between our yard and the yard next door.  It was right on the property line so we both claimed it.  I sure raked a bazillion leaves from that tree over the past ten years!  Three years ago, though, it got struck by lightning and if you were reading my blog then, you know that I thought it might have been those kids next door hacking at it.  That's what it looked like to me.  Since then, though, we discovered that it was indeed struck by lightning and was dying a slow death.  Our neighbor had a tree surgeon come out and look at it and he told us that the tree was no longer able to soak up water or nutrients from the ground and because it was so huge (70 feet!), it may take 8-10 years for it to die completely.  

We agonized over it for two days, trying to decide what to do.  We are both 
treehuggers and are very, very tenderhearted when it comes to any living thing, really.  Trees, raccoons, squirrels, we've had lots of those three to share our yards (and sometimes attics!) with.  We didn't want to cut the tree down but we didn't want it to continue to suffer either.  It was still making green leaves and acorns but we were told that they grow from nutrients in the outer shell of the tree.  The outer shell is the last to go.  I just hope we made the right decision.  

Here it is yesterday when the guys got here.

 

And here's what we have today.  I cried my eyes out over this tree yesterday.  I was so, so sad.  Ami sent me a Pinterest board of tree stump preservation ideas for sentiment's sake.  I think I want to make a planter out of one and put some pretty flowers in it in the spring.  Larry and David have a lot of chopping and splitting to do and then that sweet old tree will keep us warm this winter.

The spot where it stood.  It looks so strange out there now.

I think the first tree I ever loved was a tall, skinny pine that stood on one end of our front yard when I was a little girl.  My brother and I called it Tree Tree.  We played in the straw around that tree, we ran to it, rode our bicycles to it and Tree Tree always served as second base when we played any kind of ball. We loved that old tree!  I remember the first time I rode my bicycle to Tree Tree.  I was so proud when I turned around and saw that Daddy had let me go and was standing in the driveway!

I found this quote that I just love.

Love the trees until their leaves fall off and then encourage them to try again next year.  (Chad Sugg)