One Tree Gone…

I came home from work yesterday to a wonderful sight….An ugly tree stump.

There were severe thunderstorm warnings all day and I worried about the tree falling on my neighbor’s garage.  Granted his homeowner insurance would pay for removal, but I just wanted the tree taken care of before that happened.  I managed to gather up the money and expect to get the bill early in the mail next week, wiping out the emergency fund.

My yard feels naked without the tree.  Not that I don’t have plenty of others, although my Catalpa tree is dying and needs to go too.  I anticipate better growth of  my grass now that some of the shade has been removed.  I really want the big maple in the front to be taken down too.  Considering it is dying and chock full of lovely carpenter ants eating it from the inside, waiting to find their way into my home (Terminix is my friend!). Unfortunately, the tree does not belong to me alone.  I need consent from the owner of the other house (my former real estate agent) to cut it down.  I tried to get him to go in with me to remove it when I first moved in, but it was a no go.   I think if I offer to pay for the entire removal he may consent, but I need to save up the $1000 to do it.  It is a rental home that is managed by a company so I am not sure the owner has even been in it in years.

Since I am dreaming of cutting trees it would be nice if the other giant maple (also shared because it crosses the property line) would mysteriously disappear.  It is growing into my sewer, eek!  One tree gone…..three more to go.  I have won this battle with the trees, but I don’t think I am winning the war.