I had a tightness in my chest for most of the day. Did I make the right decision? What were we going to do for shade now? Where will the birds go? The birds...so many birds have been flying around just looking for a place to land.
And yes, didn't this thing purify the air around my house? What now? Maybe I just needed oxygen!
Maybe the tightness in my chest was more a reminder of how Roger would have felt had he seen this tree come down. He could manage emergencies with no problem at all. Tree on the house. No problem. He would step into action and all would be fine. He knew who to call. He knew how to make things safe.
I'm not so much that way. Emergency? My natural instinct is to leave the area and let the experts do their thing. I almost have to be prompted to think .."could I be of assistance here?" God made us so very different in this respect. These days I have to tune in more. I'm not altogether sure I like that either.
Deep down, I know the wise decision was to let Mike do his thing. He loves trees and would never take one down that was not a danger. This/These were . The central section of the base was mush, like wet clay. Water ran out when so many cuts were made, all along the way. There was a lot of sawdust in these trees. I imagine it will turn into wonderful compost and help more things grow.
The stump had places that were strong, but many more (covered by the sawdust) that were cavernous.
Laurel Oaks can grow up t0 80 feet tall if searching for sun, 70 feet out in the open. This one was every bit of 70 feet tall according to the tree climber. Various sources say that they can live 30-50 years normally, with some sources saying up to 70 years. This one was every bit of 50 years because it was HUGE when we moved in 35 years ago. We are going to say 71 just for fun, since we know that it outlived Roger.
It had the classic signs of decline for a Laurel Oak. Tunnel Decay. It ran through the center of every part of the tree. All the way to the top. Remarkably, the trunks of each tree were tall and straight. We often observed that it was such a shame that there was so much rot, for it would have been wonderful to be able to kiln dry the trunk and then plane it for something wonderful to be built of it. Ah, this tree had so much potential!
It makes me think, time and again, about people. So much potential. I look at our grandchildren standing on the stump of that grand old tree and I see potential. What will they become? Will they grow strong through and through...spiritually strong, I mean, because that is the only kind of strong that carries people through the hard times in life. Actually, it is the only thing that carries people through the really good times too, lest you become to full of yourself. As a family, we all invest in them. They are the future. We know what makes them strong and Roger loved spending time with them, helping them to learn to be strong. It makes me happy to see them happy, even though I know that their loss is so deep and so hard to understand. But Christ is and always will be the real source of their strength.
This tree had history and that makes me think of the world in general. I don't want to isolate myself from the world, but more and more, I find that I don't really want to know too much about what's going on in the world. I can't stay this way, I know it. There is too much that I love to share with young people and that is not possible if you become isolated and unaware. But the focus is bigger. Roger's always was. It is all about how THIS world, this existence that we are in presently, lines up with an eternal existence. That one is so much longer anyway.
This old tree 'saw' a lot of history. It was but an acorn when this place we call home was isolated and far from the beaten path. As it grew, it provided shade for the young children who played ball beneath it's large branches. It provided a break in the wind for the elderly folks who lived next door. It provided food for birds and a home for other animals. We enjoyed watching many raccoon families in that tree over the years. It held a big swing where our little girls could enjoy the summertime in the shade. It provided leaves (aplenty!) for the labyrinths we created in the backyard. This old tree had many things, yet it did not have a soul.
As much as Roger loved it, he also knew that it did not have a soul and was here only for a time. He was just not going to be the one who cut short that time. In a way, it is another really sweet memory.
But ah....strong children and grandchildren....that is going to be the memory that I take with me from this old tree. They played hard, they worked hard, and they will persevere! They will stand strong!
Roger's Lesson: It's OK. It's more about the souls under the tree than about the tree.
I'm sure that I did the right thing. My first responder is not hear to solve the problem of a dangerous, fallen tree. I avoided an emergency situation, and I am pretty sure that Roger would have to be impressed with that!
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