It sounded just like a cartoon tree falling, like a creaky door closing. Even though I was not near a window to see it happen, I scrunched up my shoulders, closed my eyes and waited for the impact. It hit the front of the house. When I did look out, I saw that the large trunk of the sliver maple in the front yard had split from the base of the tree and fallen on the front part of the house. This is what can happen when you have co-dominance in a tree. Two large trunks fork off from the main trunk, forming two weaker trunks rather than one strong trunk. In an ideal horticultural world, you would not allow a tree to do this as it is growing. You would prune off whichever trunk was not growing true and straight while the tree was still young. This tree had been planted over thirty years ago by my grandmother. She had decided one summer that the yard needed some shade, so she went out to the woods and brought up this tiny little stick of a maple, seeing a great shade tree in its future. It was so tiny in fact, it was in great danger of being run over with the lawn mower. So, gran covered it with Vicki’s Barbie VW bus/camper (you all remember it…it’s the yellow one with the sixties stickers all over it and a bike rack on the back door. Barbie and Skipper always had to wear their bellbottoms and haltertops when they rode in the van…). And it grew for over thirty years. And we never pruned it. And yes, it provided massive amounts of shade. I can’t tell you how many seasons changed while I sat at the window of the front attic room looking out at that tree. And it all ended last night in a furious thunder storm. Instead of celebrating the passing of another graduate class, I sought bourbon and cigar solace at the safe house of Kansas Slim, and figuratively (and I suppose, literally) raised a glass to the passing of that beautiful tree. I’m really going to miss it and its shade.
On a much lighter note, the Moxie provided a very entertaining product launch party Friday evening. I was able to hoof it over from class just as the official party ended, and the after-party party began. The Felliniesqueness of what happened between 9 and 10:30 cannot really be described properly here. But, I’m beginning to realize that that is what happens when Fleegans gather together, an entire GadVegas floor show packed into a short amount of time. Good thing there were pictures taken, footage shot and witness seated at Mater’s Pizza across the street, otherwise people might not believe that some of this stuff really happened.
See Moxie photos and live action footage here at: www.flickr.com/photos/ericwright/
Reading: Purple Hibiscus
Listening to: Charlie Parker
2 comments:
Dang, you always hear about trees falling on to houses (at least if you are me and your job is to listen to a scanner) but I really never think about the damage to the tree. I have been attached to a lot of trees over the years ( mostly figuratively but occasionally literally) and its tough to lose one. My 'rents cut down the big white pine that I lived outside my window and it totally changed my old bedroom. I guess change happens. Glad to hear that you guys all survived the episode.
Oh, I can so sympathize with you on the changed bedroom scenario. Now that the tree is completely cut down, my room is so bright. Not that I don't enjoy leaving the lights off and using natural light, because any chance that I can do that, I will. It's just that it is all such different amounts of light, and I think it is affecting my body's sleep patterns. I want to get up earlier than 5, which is quite insane, and completely out of the question. It is just going to take some time getting used to.
Ahhhh, trees...
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