Friday Evevning

Quick!

Name the last time you felt sorry for a squirrel!!

 

google images

 

Yesterday morning throughout the whole

 neighborhood the sound of

cardinals, finches

and robins

(there were/are others)

was replaced by the drone of power tools.

Not your average

grass blower

(though I have heard them recently)

but the deep throaty roar of big chainsaws.

The neighbor behind us was having his tree trimmed.

At least that's what I thought.

 

I will admit it was fun to watch them

rig all the support cables and then one guy

began to pull himself up the tree in his harness;

 a skillful, oddly elegant, process.

 

Saws were raised,

 branches were lowered,

breaks were taken

and I had to leave.

 

 When I returned several hours later

the silence was the first clue that the job was finished.

Imagine my surprise when I realized

that the tree hadn't been trimmed

it had been removed!!

 

It was a towering maple

and I can't help but think of all the history

that tree has seen.

I hate seeing trees cut down

and this one was a beauty!

I honestly hope that it was an agonizing

 decision for the neighbors.

 

There were so many birds and squirrels

that made their home in that tree.

The poor squirrels just kept running back to sit

on the stump as if maybe this time

the tree would be there.

 

I know - they're squirrels - even so

they had my sympathy.