First cut is the deepest

Stumped.

Bold or distraught?

Motivated by cold steel rage or heat-of-the-moment despair?

Will he be forced to wear a Scarlet Letter? “K” for killer?

“There he is. Don’t get too close. Why did he do it? What possessed him to get out the axe?”(1911.Lubin Manuf.Co/USPD:pub.date/Commons.wikimedia.org)

People here are almost obsessive about tree trimming due to hurricanes. Branches torn from trees by hurricane force winds can easily pierce walls like a spear.

Homeowners new to the area grasp the concept quickly, but often it take a while for skills to catch up. Like a kid whose mom gives a bad haircut, a tree can be devastated by a bad trim, too.

Is this one too far gone for survival? Does it have enough heart left to even try?

Bravely pretending it’s OK. Tree must be wonder whatever it could have possibly done to deserve this.”Nothing to see here. Carry on. Take the dog with you, please.”.©

Either this guy listened to some drunk’s advice on tree trimming, his neighbors hate him and offered destructive instructions, or he’s livid at the Home Owner’s Association for sending him a letter asking that the low hanging tree limbs over the sidewalk and across the street be trimmed.

The HOA does that: send notes if trucks or walkers are dodging too much.

He could be into that steam-coming-out-of-the-ears condition of “You don’t like my tree’s branches? You want tree trimming? OK, I’ll show you tree trimming.”

That happens, too.

That’s either going to be the ugliest non-shading oak tree around or he’s about to get another HOA note saying:

“We noticed your tree died. Please install another oak of similar size so there will be a uniform shady tree canopy along all the streets here. And get written permission from us before you do so. And do it with in this time period…or there will be fines. Oh, p.s. you’ll be getting a bill for this notification we had to send you.”

“Did you see it? Git the posse. A tree murder can’t be ignored. What’s next? Bush whacking?” (1921.Playgoers Pict/Yale/USPD:pub.date/Commons.wikimedia.org)

Maybe he’ll stare them down. Or learn how to spin it.

• Get an expert to say it was necessary. (Diseased or to encourage proper growth – of the tree, not homeowner. Although wild eyes and a bit of mumbling drool might back inquiring minds off….)
• Nail on some big brass street address numbers so people can find his house. (Simply saying “Look for the six-foot tree stump out front” might not be enough for some people. After all, St. Patrick’s Day is coming.)
• Plead a traffic assist. A lantern perched on top could be helpful in heavy fog. It is a corner lot with a stop sign and a school bus stop. (Who could question such neighborly benevolence?)
• Maintain artistic license. (Outdoor sculpture always increases neighborhood value.)
• Claim religious freedom. (“If thy limb offends thee, cut it off.” I think that’s in there somewhere.)
• Much easier to decorate with Christmas lights now. Certainly can reach the top now. (And imagination runs wild with potential for all the other holiday wrappings! Drape with a sheet and instant ghost and that’s just the beginning. We can talk turkey later.)
• It’s environmentally friendly. (Safer perch for hawks and squirrels.)

Some people can’t leaf things alone.

If he’s smart, the homeowner is frantically working to hide the evidence. Chopping, digging, hacking, backfilling, and finishing off with a fluffy green filling of sod. (“Tree by the curb? What tree by the curb?”)

A tree in every yard – all the way down the street. Before you snort at tree mandates, shade makes a real difference in the summer’s heat here.©

Sticking with a post here.

Phil, the Philosopher Mouse of the Hedge.

Thought you might like an update on the Ghiardi Compton Oak that was moved into a new park. Here’s a pix.

If you are confused or a new reader, click here for a previous post (with links to other posts with pictures) about a giant oak that danced 1500 feet to a new home after a huge community outcry when it was to be cut down so a road could be widened.) Video of giant tree’s move here.

And if the neighborhood oaks make it 1o0 years or so, they might look like one. There are many neighborhoods inside the city of Houston that have oaks this size lining the streets. Fabulous places. Galveston also had ancient tree-lined streets before Hurricane Ike. Despite the best efforts by companies who donated time, experts, and trucks of water to flush the ground around the beloved trees of storm surge salt water, most died. Many have been turned into sculptures in place. Here, The Ghiardi Compton Oak is has shed last years’ leaves and putting on new ones. It’s looking a little rough to me. This spring should be a good measure of what it feels like doing. ©

 

 

 

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