PART 1: What the trees mean to me

Jan 13: Before

Jan 13: After

Next month marks our sixth anniversary in our home. Moved in the weekend of Valentine's day, and TallHall joked that the washer, dryer and fridge would satisfy gifts for that weekend, my birthday and Christmas. There were two other significant events that year at the house: the removal of two oak trees and our wedding. 

In the backyard, we removed a "pencil" tree. It grew tall but never really branched out due, in part, to the close proximity of a nearby tree that was taller and healthier. Once we added gutters to the house, the tree nearly touched them.

In the front yard, there was a large oak tree that suffered root damage from the construction of the house. We had hoped that the tree might make a comeback and got second and third opinions from tree experts who agreed: it was dead and not coming back. I mourned the loss of those two trees.

Yet, even with the loss of two trees, our new identity as homeowners was closely tied to the remaining four huge oaks in our front yard and three in the back yard. The trees became a symbol of our love, and we found a way to include that in our wedding vows. An abbreviated excerpt:

"The majestic oak trees that surround this house have developed powerful roots that spread wide and deep. These hundred-year-old trees have relied heavily upon their roots to survive the most devastating storms and the severest droughts. Similarly, Hall2B and TallHall have grown strong as individuals, but only through the strength that their roots provide. As Hall and Hall2Be join to become one married couple, their strength and resilience will increase 10 fold..." 

On Tuesday, January 13, we lost two more trees. Concrete driveways and sidewalks restricted water flow to the trees. The canopy of the larger, remaining trees restricted the sunlight to these two, causing them to grow south toward our neighbors house, rending them a potential future storm safety concern should any branches break. I can only hope that the remaining trees will be able to absorb more sunlight, soil and water to fuel their continued growth.