If a tree falls in Wiles Hill ...

Since moving into the Bungalow, Mike and I have wrestled with the idea of cutting down the cawtawba tree in our backyard. She was a bit too close for comfort and her root system was most definitely threatening our foundation. Then, in 2010, the City decided she needed an ugly haircut. But we have still debated over what to do about her. Lilo always loved laying under the tree's shade.

Even as young as approximately three months old,
Lilo enjoyed surveying the neighborhood from under the shade of her tree.

Just a week ago our neighbor informed me he was having two 80-foot pine trees removed. The idea of sharing cost and getting our tree removed at the same time came easily to me. It is still gray and dreary on Short Street, so without the green leaves and the green grass around it, that tree was uglier than ever. The sidewalk around it is cracked and uneven, and the tree's branches dangerously hung over our roof. The catawba's time had come. Sorry, Lilo.

Lilo's cawtawba on her last day

Our neighbor's tree cutters removed his trees first, and I went home for lunch just in time to oversee the removal of ours. The guys had the tree cut and cleaned up in less than an hour. It was an interesting sight to witness. 

They removed individual branches first.

Does anyone else think of Fargo when they see this picture?

Here's a view from below, next to the garage. Notice the line going through the tree. That was interesting. Nothing a large rope couldn't hold back while the tree was sliced.

Timber!

Once the guys had the tree down and started cutting off the stump, they showed me that there was a large hole through the middle of the trunk. I sent a the picture below to my WV state forester friend and he informed me that the tree had been rotting from the inside out. Suddenly I felt tons better about our decision to remove her. 

The view from the back porch isn't as private and protected as it once was, but we have opened up many possibilities for a patio or a deck with potential for privacy fencing. Maybe we can put our firepit (a Christmas gift) to good use here.

It's amazing to look at the before and after pictures. We do miss our tree. And Lilo is so confused. But with the tree gone, our house is safer, and we can definitely see the potential for a nice little getaway in her stead.

Before.

After!