tenaya | A nerve wracking race (Reply)

There's this tree at the foot of the driveway, a Chinese elm and it's a volunteer. It's maybe 20-25 foot high and quite beautiful with lacy branches. It overhangs onto the neighbor's yard and last year, their gardeners sheared off the overhang with has left the tree not balanced. Spring has sprung and the tree is gaining lots of leaves and the branches are drooping with the weight. The rain has left the ground a bit soggy (yes, you know where this is going, don't you?) Well, last week I wondered if the tree had always leaned a bit towards the drive. As the days went by, I went through idle curiousity, concern, denial, to certainity and a slow panic. The phone and electrical lines run through the tree branches and the phone line is now quite taut. We had an estimate from one tree trimmer guy yesterday for $400 (plus another $100 to grind out some old stumps.) Another guy is coming in the morning. The tree inches more towards the falling over and at some point gravity will win. I should also mention that that water pipe to the house runs to the west of the tree and depending on what the roots are like, they could severely damage these 50 year old pipes. The only thing it won't take out is the gas line.

Did I mention I was feeling a tad panicky?

So, if I should disappear suddenly, take it has said that we're preoccupied with all sorts of trouble.