Our largest healthiest pine tree came down last evening during the big blow. The big blow lasted about one minute maybe. We feel very blessed that it chose to lie down between the houses rather than on top of one of our houses.
If you have read some of my previous posts you know I think of this as the squirrel highway. They pass through this area between our houses to get to our feeders from the wooded lot across the street. The little gray squirrels that came this morning stopped and looked wondering what happened in their little corner of the world.
As you can see the tree smashed this section of the chain link fence to smithereens. Most thankfully Luna has decided that she should stay away from this area. She could easily jump over the tree and go traipsing around the neighborhood but she is a good girl (for now) and stays away from the gnarly tree lying on the fence.
It was wrought up from the roots. The fence is four feet high and you can see that the root ball is taller than the fence. it also has big roots running under the fence that helped rip and tear.
The big tree that is down nearly brought over the last standing pine. It too will have to be taken down.
As I was saying the tree couldn't have been taken down manually any better. It missed both airconditioners, ours on the left and our neighbors AC on the right.
Could we have been any luckier??
My Dearly Beloved took a picture of me and Luna out by the top of the tree. This is basically what I saw last night when I looked out my office window. Pretty scary when I usually see not much at all. I am 5'6" tall so you can see how tall one side of the branches are. I just wonder how deep the limbs are embedded into the ground. 
All I can say is Thank you Lord for keeping us all safe. P.S. Thank you for the new gardening opportunity. Nothing like having a new planting area given to you. P.P.S. Does anyone have a big chain saw we could borrow?? Does anyone need firewood?? :/
All I can say is Thank you Lord for keeping us all safe. P.S. Thank you for the new gardening opportunity. Nothing like having a new planting area given to you. P.P.S. Does anyone have a big chain saw we could borrow?? Does anyone need firewood?? :/
Oh My! How nice of the wind and tree to co-operate and not squash anything more expensive.
ReplyDeleteIt blew through here last night too. It is a wonder that more trees don't fall in this forest. I quess for the most part they are used to it. It is major windy here with most fronts that pass through.
You were really lucky to have the tree come down without hitting the house.It was a huge tree. No wonder the squirrels didn't know what to make of the new world in your garden.
ReplyDeleteLuna is definitely good if she didn't just sail over the tree and off the property. Lytton would have gone off to investigate new smells after the storm.
You'll be able to get some good stumps out of the tree.
Oh WOW--how lucky! And so how does this change your garden? Do you suddenly have a sunnier corner there than you used to? Oh, the possibilities! :)
ReplyDeleteThank goodness you and yours are okay. I have worried about you northerners for the cold temps, not knowing you were in danger from tornado force winds. Get out those catalogs to search for 'full sun' trees, shrubs and perennials. The silver lining as they say. Glad you don't have house damage, or your neighbors.
ReplyDeleteHi Lisa, Those winds and storms can do damage so quickly. Your yard looks like what Florida sees when hurricanes "blow through".
ReplyDeleteNow you certainly have a big garden project removing that ginormous tree. Hopefully you'll get some good mulch out of the deal. The really good news is you and your family are okay.
Lisa! I'm so glad that didn't fall on your house! You were so blessed. I didn't see any damage around here during my errands today.
ReplyDeleteHOLY CRUD! Thank all the gods, saints and whatever else that no one was hurt...you're right that you've got a new opportunity for gardening, but it must have been a frightening experience, uncomfortably like a tornado (one of my nightmares). Just really glad you're all okay.
ReplyDeleteSuch a shame! I know of these trees falling as my daughter has had several trees blow over knocking down fences but thankfully missing houses!
ReplyDeleteThe hole left in the ground just amazed me! So happy to see your house is NOT damaged as these are considered acts of God by insurance companies!! Whew NG
OMG, you really are lucky and unlucky. Lucky everything is still intact but unlucky to lose such a beautiful tree. So happy you are all okay.
ReplyDeleteThat was quite a storm that blew through Indiana last night, wasn't it?
ReplyDeleteLike everyone else, I'm sure sorry you lost that big tree, but to have no other damage, other than to the fence, is quite amazing. A new gardening opportunity, yes, a very positive way to look at it!
Be careful with those chain saws!
Carol, May Dreams Gardens
I'm glad you're okay. We're used to tornadoes, but they can bevery scary. The regular wind has been blowing here for two days straight. Yuck. I'm ready for spring. I've rested enough.
ReplyDeleteWe had the big blow too, but it lasted a lot longer than a few minutes. Thank God we didn't have any damage. I don't envy you the cleanup, but a new area to plant next year doesn't sound to bad.
ReplyDeleteHi again, Lisa :-)
ReplyDeleteWow - that must have been quite a wind! It makes the tiles off our roof recently look like a sneeze :-)
Yes, thank goodness no one was hurt and your house was okay. I agree this now opens up new planning opportunities - a new project for the Spring perhaps?
If it were me I would be very tempted to reuse some of this wood in some way. Hey, if you had an artist friend proficient with a chain saw perhaps rustic high backed chairs could be on the cards! Mmm...
I want to thank everyone for your concern and well wishes.
ReplyDeleteBlackswamp Girl I have lots more sun now. Even my patio will have some serious afternoon sunshine. That will open all sorts of possibilities.
Yes Frances I am already thinking sunnier plantings. :)
Yes Carol that wind was awful. We could hear the woooo of a train which people that have had tornados say they hear. I didn't see a funnel cloud though. I was looking out the window (I know you aren't supposed ot do that) watching the big black clouds coming toward us until huge limbs started beating the back of the house. I was afraid one would come through the window I was looking through.
Shirl this was a sneeze compared to what my Dad went through a few years ago.
I am definitely looking forward to Spring and planting in this area. I will have to fill the hole where the roots were.
I have been thinking of the opportunities the pine logs might make. They are so heavy and full of sap right now. If I had a place to store the logs until I made up my mind. I am a slow thinker.
Oh, how scary Lisa. So glad you all were safe inside and that it didn't crash on the house. Definitely a time to count your blessings.
ReplyDeleteOh my! Thank goodness everyone is self including the air conditioner and the house.....
ReplyDeleteSo sad to see the end of a big tree, but at least now you have sunshine - right?
Dear Lisa,
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness!
You were lucky! I do remember when we lost two huge cedar trees and a 100 year old Ash. Big clean up and always sad to lose a tree. Wind can be frightening. Are they calling this a micro-burst?
The winds howled through here too but no damage.
Gardens do change! Shade to sun and back to shade. Back to shade often takes many years.
Do take breaks when you do the clean up. It might take awhile. Huge old tree! I am so sorry for your loss. Maybe there are some pine cones you could save from your beloved tree. Perhaps a small piece to be a base for a vase? I have made coasters from lost trees and I have a little "Yule log" from my downed Ash.
I love my trees so very much. The White Pines we have growing are named. I would be very sad if one went down.
Glad you are safe. I will remember your tree in my blessings.
Hugs,
Sherry
My understanding is that a tornado is a funnel cloud a trained spotter has confirmed has touched down. If it does not touch down, it is a funnel cloud.
ReplyDeleteYou have a great attitude about this near disaster. I'm glad nothing other than the tree and fence were damaged. Have you considered this an opportunity to put up a more attractive fence?
Lisa, thanks to God your house was spared and no one was hurt. The photo of you and Luna really shows the size of that tree... My, now you really have a garden project to work on. An early one!
ReplyDeleteI hope Luna stays inside the barrier. I worry about my dogs getting through their fence, too.
We had wind, but not the losses here of downed trees.
ReplyDeleteIt's such an overwhelming chore to have to unbury an entire yard.
Take it slow!
Heck! I'm glad you and your house are okay.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry you lost the tree, but so glad y'all stayed safe -- and didn't suffer any additional property damage. Glad to hear that you are already thinking of the new planting possibilities.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad no one was hurt and that you didn't have more property damage than you did. Sorry you lost the tree though. :-( That wind was HORRIBLE. As I laid in bed on Tuesday night, it actually felt like the house was vibrating a bit. Reminded me of the wind in the Blizzard of '78!
ReplyDeleteMy goodness, Lisa - you sure were lucky, and I too am so glad you are all ok. I can't wait to see what you'll do with the new space. Perhaps a bog or water garden is in your future?
ReplyDelete"Making Lemonaide" already! Good for you! :-) I'm sure this whole experience has had you shaken. How thankful you must be for the way it turned out. We can be glad no one was hurt.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad that you were so lucky and nobody hurt in this big blow. The tree was probably old and tired (what could it have told you if the tree could have spoken ;-)!!!Don't you think your garden looks quite different now? Are you not missing something?
ReplyDeleteHope you have good weather again!
Have a nice weekend, after all!
Again I want to thank you all for your supportive comments. As time has gone along I am feeling sorry for losing the tree. It does look so different here without the tree. There will be much more sun in the back garden. Especially on our house and patio. Sigh~~
ReplyDeleteA friend of mine brought over a paper she received that is a list of evergreen trees that do well here. Isn't that just timely??
I will try to answer all questions now...
Sherry, I didn't hear the micro burst used. They were calling this straight line winds.
MrMcD, I am thinking about a little different fencing. My DB is all for the chain link tho. I will hide it better this time.
Nan, if this had happened on the other side of the bower I would have contemplated a bog garden. That is where the water collects in my garden. Where this tree came out it is very dry.
Yes Barbara I wish the tree could have talked to me. I think it was lonesome due to the trees near it sucumbing to the pine bark beetle.
The garden does feel different on this side. I looks different too. I am having all sorts of thoughts about what to do.
Unfortunately the insurance company is not going to pay much on it. If the tree had fallen onto the house it would have paid for everything. Is that not crazy??
We have hired someone to come in and take it out and the other tree that is leaning. I hope they do it soon. WE could deal with the small branches but the trunk is way too large for us to handle. There is plenty to keep them busy at this time due to the storm.
Lisa, your post gave me goosebumps - not just reading about your close call with the trunk, but your calm and philosophical attitude toward all of it! I'm so glad you're safe and am glad the squirrels are annoyed ;-]
ReplyDeleteSomehow I think you're one of those women who can make lemonade out of lemons - once you get through the expense and mess of cleaning up the trees we'll have fun seeing what you'll do with the space and the sun.
Annie at the Transplantable Rose
Well Annie, when things happen out of ones control you just have to let them go. Easy to say on a nice sunny day. :)
ReplyDeleteOMG! I'm so late to see this! I'm so glad that you guys are safe, and my heavens I hate that you have such damage! Looks like you'll have some gardening challenges this spring. Good luck and God bless!
ReplyDeleteYikes!
ReplyDeleteThank God you are all ok!
I've heard it told, that if you like trees, they will never fall on your house. I guess you like trees! ;-)