Monday, November 13, 2006

Falling

This hickory has always been one of my favorite trees on our place.



I loved the way it (picturesquely, romantically) leaned over the path, and defended it from my husband, who has long wanted to cut it down.



But now there's a problem. How can you defend a tree that insists on behaving in this manner?

Hubby says it must go. We need to be able to drive under there, and neither pickups nor tractors can Limbo. Plus, if this decline continues, a fence will be destroyed.



I'll still be sad to see it go.

(Note the crazy husband in the tree.)

14 comments:

Karen Schmautz said...

Has FC seen this?

If I don't watch my husband very carefully and keep my ears open for the sound of the chain saw whenever he goes outside, I'm likely to have 10 trees cut down before I can even get my shoes on and run outside telling him to stop.

Ericka said...

oh dear. poor tree. i've propped smaller trees up. i don't suppose that's an option here, is it?

i don't blame your husband - trees are for climbing! i still count summer wasted if i don't spend a percentage of time in a tree.

Lorianne said...

Is that a living tree? If so, how is it staying rooted?

Personally, I don't think hubby is crazy for being in the tree, but I wonder about you or anyone else going under it. ;-)

Bill said...

is it diseased? what's making it fall?

Rurality said...

A little clarification:

It doesn't seem diseased, and does seem living. But it just keeps leaning more and more! After the last storm it got worse, so I suppose the wind had something to do with it.

It's way too big to prop up, I think.

Hick, I think our husbands are just alike!

Anonymous said...

Its funny how trees can become friends. I would be sad to see this tree go, too.

Anonymous said...

Poor tree..Couldn't you just get a convertible car and leave the tree alone..

Anonymous said...

I thought of Florida Cracker the moment I saw your husband in the tree. Too bad that beauty has to go, but that is the way of nature.

R.Powers said...

What??

That's so funny, I was just thinking this morning that I have not been up in a tree for months.


That will be some good BBQ wood.

robin andrea said...

It does look like that tree has only one direction it's going in. Too bad it's falling across your road, otherwise it could just fall back into the earth.

KFarmer said...

Sorry to see your old friend go- He was a beauty.

Anonymous said...

Mortality's a bitch. Are there any younger hickories there, offspring of that one? Poor old hickory.

Looks as if something severed or killed some big roots on the other side of the tree, and it couldn't stay upright against wind and/or wet soil. Trees can stay alive sometimes even when they're more or less horizontal, if they have what bonsai folks call a lifeline still intact from the remaining roots to the leaves. And of course if they still get enough light and water and such.

Anonymous said...

I know your pain. I have lost 3 big trees in the last 3 summers. One each summer. They were growing along the rimrock, and simply could not put roots down deep enough to support themselves. At least they are pacing themselves and becoming good firewood, but still I just hate it when they go. All have fallen across the driveways. Two were hackberry and one a bur oak. Sadly missed and delightfully enjoyed, if you can wrap your soul around that heat.

sonia a. mascaro said...

I am sorry to see that beautiful tree fall. The same happens with a big tree at my neighborhood.

So beautiful your path! Very green!