The day the trees died ...

One of the things that gives our house a nice cottagy feel is the multitudes of trees that surround it. They stretch across the front of our lot, with a clearing to facilitate the view, and then run down either side of the property. That is they did until a week ago. That's when the tree surgeon arrived with his trusty assistant. They spent the day thinning and trimming and exterminating, er, eradicating a number of our trees.

I agreed with Mike that the frontage needed some thinning. It was being taken over with choke cherry seedlings and overgrown branches from a number of cedars. Where we disagreed was over the removal of a stand of cedars on the south side of the cottage. I liked them. Mike insisted they were hampering proper drainage along that part of the property (over the years the roots had pushed up through the sandy soil and created a big mound). Needless to say I lost the argument and the clump of cedars came out. I will admit, however, that the light that pours in through the south-facing windows is quite lovely and we now have a wonderful view of the north pier and the point beyond from our upstairs hall and bathroom.

Before ...

After ...

Marked for death

The void ...

The view!