Turns out the tree was dead. We didn’t learn this until we had bought the house and were raking the tree’s leaves when a neighbour came over and pointed out that the entire back half of the tree was hollow. How horrible could that really be? I mean the front of the tree that we see from the house looks alive – all is good right?
It was decided that the tree needed to come down, before it fell down and took out our house/fence/neighbours house etc. So in the spring I called around for some quotes. The first one came in at $2500!!! Insane – it’s a tree – the company said it was unsafe to climb as it was half hollow, and they would have to use chainsaws on poles. I should mention that you can’t get a truck into our back yard.
Anyway, I decided another quote was necessary - $1600, but that’s leaving all the wood behind that I would have to find someone to cut up and haul away, or $2000 to take the wood. At this point the rage is building – it’s a f#*king tree!!! Give me a chainsaw – wait, don’t do that, only bad things can happen.
I put off bringing the tree down; it’s just too damn expensive and besides all those little critters will lose their homes. I waited and waited for some wind storm or a bolt of lightening to bring it down for us – that’s what we have insurance for. I could use a new roof or a redesign of the back deck!! But as I can’t control the weather (horrible reality for someone with control issues), the tree was still standing as storm season came to a close.
Sitting at work bitching about my tree and how much I’d prefer if the money could be spent on clothes, furniture, or a trip, a co-worker mentioned a guy – someone who had done tree work for her years ago, but he was good and cheap. Luckily that guy passed his business down to his son, and that son quoted me $1300 to bring down the tree and remove everything, except some mulch. Done and DONE. Get that tree out of here before I have to rake its leaves!!!
So now the tree is gone. Yes, I know there are many other trees in the ravine, but they are not my trees. I want my own tree. So it’s time to grow something.
This past Saturday after speaking with various tree experts, and watching all the colors of the trees in the ravine turn from green to yellow, I decided I wanted something with bright red leaves in the backyard, so off I went to the local nursery.
And there was my tree. 50% off, and only $5 to deliver!
He’s an Autumn Blaze Maple. I call him Woody (not sure if he resembles Harrelson or Allen more?), and this weekend I’ll be staking him so that he’s not harmed over the winter. He’s small now, but I’m looking forward to watching him grow over the years.
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