I have to say that it strikes me as preposterous that I own a tree. Well, actually I own two trees plus a lilac bush that's threatening to become as big as a tree. But really, what human needs to own a tree? I'd be happy to go visit trees. Especially now, when my main tree has suffered grievous injuries at the hands of the weather.



I was out of town this weekend, and while I was gone a line of severe storms went through here. Severe enough that they ended a University of Michigan football game early. Severe enough that huge chunks of several communities have been without electricity for three days and counting. Unsurprisingly, a tall, old elm afflicted with Dutch elm disease* wouldn't be much of a match.



Fortunately, not only was no one hurt, but the limbs and branches fell on no houses or cars. (I'm not sure which would be worse: the tree falling on my house, or the tree falling on my neighbors'.) A neighbor told me that there was a lot of tree damage on our block, but mine was the worst. THAT was a lottery I didn't really want to win.

This morning I called the tree contractor I used the last time something like this happened. He was going to come by tonight, but I don't think he did. I'm sure I'm not his only client given how widespread this was. But I will call him tomorrow to see if I can speed things up a little. I was going to leave this mess on the sidewalk, thinking myself unable to do anything, until I remembered I had a handsaw. As day segued into night, I managed to cut enough to clear the sidewalk so the kiddies can get to school. I'm a lumberjack, and I'm ok. But I'm not that much of a lumberjack, so I hope the contractor comes by tomorrow. Really.
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* The tree contractor told me it had no signs of Dutch elm disease. That was when I decided to just have the damage cleaned up instead of having the tree removed, which would've left my house unshaded.