From the house, it was impossible to tell that anything had happened, so I was absolutely gutted when Tree Guy and I walked down through the pasture so see what was what. TG is six feet tall, to put some perspective to the size of this magnificent live oak. (Not so "live" now.) TG estimates that the tree is at least five-hundred years old and was approximately sixty feet tall. Just the thought of losing this old beauty was enough to bring me to tears. Miraculously, the fallen trunk missed my neighbors' reserve water tanks, but if the branch(es) to the left of TG's head goes in the wind that is howling this morning, there go the tanks and that will be true devastation.
Tree Guy's sons were able to cut and clear a good portion of the branches that were against the tanks yesterday before dark. The remaining three parts to the trunk are split down into the ground so it's just a matter of time. Two will fall into the pasture and will do no damage. It's that third section that gives me the heeby-jeebies. Right now it's just wind and rain (as if that weren't enough), but if we get the predicted heavy snow....
Regardless of the drama, life as we know it goes on. As I headed to the barn for the morning milking, this stranger landed in the pasture. I don't know my ornithology, so I'm just going to say grey heron until I find out differently. It walked regally around the pasture, looking for I don't know what. It was a nice diversion from chaos.
One of my milk customers came to pick up her week's supply yesterday, accompanied by her three-year-old daughter, whom I adore. Sarah told me she is in the practice at bedtime of asking her daughter what had made it a good day, and last week the answer had been, "Going to [Bo's]." I can't express how good that made me feel. It's a gift when children and animals trust you.
So far, so good with the power and the satellites. Fingers crossed! (And I didn't get a glass of wine.)
1 comment:
I can't EVEN imagine what it must be like to see that once magnificent beauty of a tree, partially on the ground. The size alone is breathtaking, (I gasped when I opened the blog and saw TG dwarfed by TRUNKS!) and the disappointment would be on so many levels: loss of the tree; damage to the fence; and expense to get it OFF the fence. I guess you should never pray for a ready source of firewood...but at least now you know the secret to your gas-driven wood splitter (if I'm remembering past blogs correctly). GLASS of wine? Looks like you deserve a BARREL when you get the tree off his fence...but then again, I guess it is YOUR tree and HIS fence! But Pollyanna says how wonderful that it missed the reserve water tanks...and how nice that you still have contact with the outside world and TV! Let's hope this is the one and only surprise attack on your wallet this year!
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