bye bye bad tree

when we moved in, there were three large trees in our backyard. one of our neighbors behind us turned out to be a landscaper, and he said they were huge ficus. they were really nice in the shade they provided, and how many people in southern california can say they have hundred year old trees in their yard? my bear may not have a hundred acre wood like his cousin winnie, but he had hundred year wood in his yard. plus they definitely mitigated heat island effect and heat-in-our-house effect. plus i had dreams of hosting fabulous dinner parties in the dirt patch beneath them on a warm, summer's evening with twinkle lights thread through their branches, perhaps on my 30th birthday.

too bad they were some bad, bad trees.

first, they dropped fruit ALL summer long. the fruit looked like berries, crushed into sneezy, yellow powder when you stepped on it, and worst of all attracted birds that like to eat it. then it was determined they were invasive. there were whole chunks of concrete in the driveway that were not only cracked but were lifted so high that they formed new steps. there were plumbing issues, and it was determined the roots of the trees were endangering the pipes. lastly, i'm sure there were many rabid squirrels up in its expansive branches. ew.

why past tense? because the trees are no more. as of today, they are all gone. one was removed a few months ago, and the remaining two were noisily killed, ground up, and taken away today.

before:

for reference, the fence below the trees is about six feet tall.


see? lots of branches for birds, squirrels, and other vermin. i think some of our neighbors' cats used to lurk up there, too.


so...bare. and so exposed to our annoying, loud, "musical" (they try, but it sounds really, really bad) neighbors.

i hope they were at least disposed of in the least wasteful way possible--perhaps they're off to a paper factory? yeah, i'm a little sad. over trees. oh, brother.

but yay! no more vermin!

while i was outside taking the before photos, i noticed some other things. like, "oh, we have roses."






and, "oh, our thai pepper plants are actually growing!" (all thanks to the bear, none to me).


and, "oh, the bougainvillea is blooming again."


i don't usually notice these types of things from my usual spot at my desk.

today, while i was taking the after photos, i went to check our mail. as i did, a notice fluttered down to the ground from our doorknob. it was something from the department of public works saying something about impending tree removal. what? our tree was privately removed by a private company hired by our private landlords. and it's finished already. then i noticed a corresponding notice ON a tree that is planted in the sidewalk in front of our house while simultaneously noticing the horribly cracked and patched sidewalk near it.


i guess it's bye bye to another bad tree.