For the Love of an Old Tree...

During the storm last Friday, June 17th, we thought we escaped without any damage to our trees. Alas, such was not the case. When Claude was out looking at the back yard on Saturday, June 18th, he realized a branch was broken and hanging there dying. It would not come off without someone cutting it off and it was very high up in the tree. Now, this particular tree in our backyard is the enchanted fairy garden tree. We have all kinds of things on it and around it and hanging off of it. We thought it would last a bit longer. 

Sunday, June 19th, was Father's Day. We were up and to church in the morning. I played the organ then taught a Primary class. Claude was with the men the second hour who were all in the cultural hall enjoying strawberry shortcake and lemonade for Father's Day.

After Church, Claude had reservations for us at Montana Grill for a nice Father's Day dinner. The meal was yummy delicious. We do love this restaurant. Claude enjoyed a nice bison ribeye steak and I had my bison nachos. 

After our meal-of-the-day, we drove to Georgetown to Cracker Barrel to try their biscuit beignets for dessert. Oh My Heavens!! These things are so good. We ordered each of us an order. As we ate, I told Claude we could probably order one in the future and share it. My hubby looked across the table at me and declared he really could eat one by himself. Now, I have the sweet tooth in this marriage. Claude, not so much. We laughed at his desire for this particular sweet treat. Really good folks, really good.

When we got home, there was a crew from a company cutting down branches from trees in Catherine's yard and other yards on our street. I marched myself right over to them and asked if they might cut a limb down from a tree in our yard. Justin walked to our backyard with me and looked at the situation. He offered to do it then and there for a price I found very reasonable. I went in and told Claude to write the check. Justin and his crew finished up what they were working on and then came to our back yard. One of the men had on the kinds of spikes my father used to climb telephone poles in. He climbed up the tree and cut that limb and a few others around it. Fascinating to watch. I asked him if he like to climb trees as a boy. He grinned and then shared that he and friends loved to climb the pine trees on their property as boys. Yep, he was a tree climber from way back. 

These three pictures are of the broken branch in the tree before it was cut down.

Here are a few pictures of this brave fellow climbing way up in our tree and cutting those branches.

We love this old tree. It is mostly hollow on the inside. After talking with Justin, and finding another branch over our shed that is very compromised, we determined we would go ahead and cut the tree down. Not all the way. Just to where the tree branches out into two sections. This part will stand for many years. It will allow us to leave the enchanted fairy things all over the base of the tree. Justin will come back in a couple of weeks to take the tree down. More picture then I am sure.

Claude and I are already talking about possibilities for placing a birdhouse on top of the tree trunk after the top is cut down. We'll see what our old brains can come up with.