The Tree

We've got this great big old Black Cottonwood in our backyard. A few years ago, before our youngest daughter's wedding, we built a deck around the tree and have enjoyed it's ambiance during weddings, reunions, and just kicking back.


The tree's wood is not as springy as an evergreen; in fact, it's quite brittle when it's covered with an inch of ice. Limbs tend to fall in the wintertime, especially if you add a little wind to the ice.


Well, today, I decided to rescue the "light balls" that hang from the lower branches and illuminate our deck.


Naturally, this was after Hummingbird Rescue, which was after last night's freezing rain. As I was under the tree, a horrific crack shot thru the air above me. Knowing exactly what it was, I raced across the deck and dove out into the snow, covering my head (sorry, no video...). Becky ran outside as I was getting up. We both looked at the deck (well, this 1200sq ft thing covered with snow and ice), then looked at our house.




The main limb at the top of the tree had broken under the weight of the ice and had fallen towards the house. The tip plunged into the snowy ground, and, like a pole vault, the base of the limb was propelled into Becky's tool shed (she's always wanted a bigger and better one). One small limb ripped into the greenhouses. Seein's how this was Sunday and we hadn't adventured out to church, I was wondering what I was to do with all my time today. So, I got out the chainsaw and kept my eyes on the tree as I cleared out some of the larger limbs.