Dead Trees, Part 1

I have too many of them, and I gained a new one yesterday.  I'll explain.  About 10 years ago, lightning knocked off the top 1/3 of a huge sweetgum tree in the neighbor's yard.  Being downwind, it fell into mine.  That made it my problem.  The rain that followed caused a river birch (a real junk tree) that was already leaning over to fall on my toolshed.  

My friends kid me about "over-building things".  Well, the shed withstood the tree falling on it!  But I had to get a tree removal company in to cut up and remove both.  I also had them remove 2 other river birches that were tall enough to shade my garden.

Well, the damaged sweetgum trunk eventually rotted and the middle 1/3 fell over in Fall 2020.  I expected to cut it up with a chain saw in better weather the next Spring.  But then I fell off the extension ladder in January 2021, so I sure wasn't doing any hard work for 6 months.  And I still don't really feel healed (and suppose I never quite will again).  I may indulge myself about all the glories of aging in a future post, but not today.

There is a beech tree in the front yard.  It died 2 years ago.  I have (had) golden rain trees on each side of the driveway near the street.

That's not mine, but a good picture of one.   They get about 15' tall.  Mine were 12'.  One died the same time as the beech tree (it was a dry year for my area) and I saw other dead trees in the neighborhood later.

So the weather forecast Sunday night was for storms with strong winds Monday.  Earlier yesterday, the forecast was for localized near-hurricane-strength winds, heavy rain, hail, and possibly small tornados.  It is kind of early in the year for that, but climate change is real and stronger weather is becoming routine earlier and later than usual.

When the winds started, I was surprised at the violence of the wind on the trees.  It wasn't just one direction.  It swirled, beating them back and forth.  Mature trees bent.  Smaller ones whipped around like shrubs.  It wasn't a tornado, but it was sure damn close.  Hail fell.  Pea-sized at first (which is fun to watch when inside) but it grew to grape-sized and I worried about my lettuce on the deck.

I watched the dead beech tree carefully.  It had partially died many years ago, but sent up some new tops.  None very heavy though.  I had estimated its height and measured to the house.  The remaining heavy trunk would (probably) not quite reach the house, but even 3" branches can damage a roof.

The beech remains standing.  But I didn't realize at first that the surviving golden rain tree had been blown over.  Right across the driveway, of course.  The dead one didn't get blown over; no leaves for the wind to push on...

The storm was brief, so I went out to look at it about 5 pm.  Too heavy for me to drag off the driveway.  I have 2 chain saws.  I can't keep the serious gas one adjusted enough to work (2 stroke gas engines drive me crazy), so I have a small electric one.  I tried to cut it apart, but the blade was too dull.  I have a replacement blade, but didn't really want to mess with it right them.  I figured I would do that later today.

That's when my wonderful neighbors across the street came to my assistance!  More on that tomorrow...