The demise of a tree

Planting a mimosa tree in the front yard seemed like a good idea at the time. After all, they grow quickly, have pretty pink, sweetly scented flowers, and would provide shade for the cars. However, after many years of exuberant growth and almost continual mess from flowers and leaves and seed pods, I finally convinced Jeff that its time was spent. Maybe the roots that had raised and cracked the driveway concrete were the deciding factor. Or maybe my nagging every year to trim the branches wore him down. We took down several branches early in the spring and I told him it was okay if it took all summer, I just wanted it gone by the end of it.

Then fate took a hand in the arrival of Charlie and Edwin.

Our soldier and marine decapitated the beast with a borrowed chain saw in one afternoon.

They were branch-lopping animals.

Edwin is a rigger and can work miracles with a rope and a few good knots. That chainsaw got hauled up and down the tree so many times I lost count.

The conquering heroes.

The only casualty of the endeavour was a glass bird feeder that I really liked but that didn't work too well anyway.

Oh.

And we completely lost the goodwill of the resident goldfinches, who  spent the whole time dive-bombing the places where the branches used to be and chirping at the top of their little lungs.

Sad.

Now. I'm thinking a nice, well-behaved deep pink dogwood would look very nice in that corner when the mimosa roots have rotted a bit.

Maybe tomorrow I will post a few nostalgic photos of the tree. It has, after all, been a signature sight in front of our house for a long time.