There has been a huge, looming dead tree standing about 10-15 feet beyond my back fence for at least the last four years. Giant reaching limbs hang over the fence like a huge gnarly hand--the tree from the movie "Poltergeist" comes to mind. The dead tree can actually be seen in the photo I took of the kid who mowed my lawn (back when I had a kid who mowed my lawn).
I don't remember what kind of tree it was when alive, or even if I ever knew, since I can only remember it being dead. It had a fairly thick trunk and stood about 60 to 70 feet tall. The *wild* trees that grow in that stand are black oak and sweet gum, so it was more than likely one of those. I'm not sure if disease got it, or it was another victim of the killer heat/drought we've been having for the last several years.
Last week, in fact, I had called a tree service to provide an estimate for having it taken down. They wanted - get this - $700 to cut it down and leave it where it fell, or $1,000 to cut it down and haul it away. The nerve! I said I'd have to get back to them. ::snort::
Sometime during the night last night, the tree fell. I can now answer the age old question, "If a tree falls in the forest does it make a sound?" The answer is "no."
I let the dogs out this morning and the first thing I saw was a missing piece of fence. The next thing I noticed was the absent tree. While it saved $700-1,000 in tree fees, the fence will cost something to replace, but comparatively not much.
All I know is I'm glad I was not standing under it when it happened. With my luck, I'm sure the tree would have taken aim for the top of my head.
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