ash tree

I am a tree hugger. I make no excuses. I have been a tree hugger since I was quite young and found some of the most delicious food in the world came from our friends the tree. And until the neighbor caught you, the food was free. Over the years trees became the subject of many of my science papers for school, the object of my attempts at poetry and every fall becomes the subject of my awe as the seasonal changes take place.

Having said all that you can imagine what a heavy heart I had when I gave the final order to take down the huge ash in our backyard. It was planted a couple years before we moved here. But it was planted in a spot that was never quite good. West Liberty has electric, phone and cable wires above the ground. As the ash tree grew, it got tangled up in these. It grew so big and the leaves so heavy that it often brushed on the roof despite my attempts to keep it trimmed back. One of it’s major branches came down in a storm many years back, leaving a a hole I made some poor efforts at covering. It also looked as if it could land on the neighbor’s house in a bad storm.

So considering the situation we made the decision to bring it down. The first slice with the chain saw made me feel like they were cutting me.

The tree gave great shade on the south side of the house. When the kids were young the tree served as something to climb, the home for their sand box, the home for their tree house and at one time a nice shady spot for our little backyard pool. The shade it provided and the air it cleaned will be sorely missed. The birds and the squirrels will certainly need to look for new homes.

Our adult kids shed a small tear when they heard, but they understood. We plan to tear down our old garage and put up a new one nearer the house.

Then when all that gets in place the old tree will be replaced by a couple of smaller trees better suited to life in a small town.

Over the next several years the old ash will give us one more gift as we use the wood to warm ourselves in the winter by the fire.  The memory of all that tree did for us will be extinguished slowly and with love.

Thank you, old tree.