Timber!

The before.  My front yard was filled with trees.  Birds flitted from one to the next.  The squirrels jumped from tree to tree.  When there were no branches, they would run across the power lines like a gymnasts on a balance beam.

The cottage was tucked behind 13 beautiful mature evergreens.  When it rained overnight, I could come out the door and smell the wet pine needles.  It reminded me of camping in the mountains.  The trees shielded the windows from the hot summer sun.  They also kept the neighbors from peering in.

In order to build the new house, the trees had to come down.  It was a sad day.  I watched from the window as tree after tree came crashing to the ground. 

 

The arborists worked from 9am-5pm with chainsaws, a chipper and lots of rope.  It was amazing to see how their team worked together.  They eyeballed the top of a tree and then conferred to see if they all agreed on whether there was room for it to come down.  A rope was tossed up into the branches.  It secured the tree so two of them could guide the tree down as the third fellow ran the saw.  I was in awe of the whole process.

                                                                                                                                                      

Some of the trees were not so easy to take down; requiring one of the guys to climb them and take them down piece by piece.  As I watched, I decided that I could never do that job.  I think you need to be part monkey.

 

The after.  One tree remained in the front.  I hoped that the excavator would be able to work around it so there would at least be one large tree in the front yard of the new house.  I had the windows open and could hear the neighbors walking by commenting on what a shame it was that the trees were taken down.  I felt the same but that was the only way that the new house was going in and they did not know what was going to be happening.

 I think that is the reason that I'm excited for spring to be here.  I want to see if all the shrubs and trees that I planted in the fall will show signs of growth.  I tried to choose fast growing varieties so it doesn't take long to get my summer birds back.  I could pass on the squirrels.

In the meanwhile, I'll sit in front of my wood stove and watch the flames flicker from the logs that came from my front yard trees.  This will be a time for me to peruse my garden magazines and dream of spring.