September 3: Picture of the Day

Since we’ve moved into this house I shudder to admit how many trees we’ve taken down. Three hybrid poplars. One hard maple. And we topped two soft maples.

But sometimes, trees have to go.

The first trees to go were those poplars. Messy, weak trees that I don’t miss at all.

Topping the soft maples was a concession to my wife. I’d just have soon sawed them to the ground. Two summers of high winds proved to me that soft maples are not much better than poplars.

But the hard maple this summer was harder to see go. That was a good tree.

That’s why these little acorns make me so happy.

Last summer we planted a swamp white oak in the backyard. We bought as big a tree as we could find, or afford. Even so, there’s not much chance I’ll enjoy shade from the little fella. But it makes me happy to think someone will, someday.

And hopefully they won’t have to take this tree down for a long, long time.