Fallen Trees

One thing we love about our little piece of rural idyll is that we are surrounded by beautiful trees.  Not only do they look amazing, but they help keep the house cool and stop us being blown over by the gale force winds that blast their way through here on a reasonably regular basis.  Needless to say, we're always devastated when we lose a tree.  In the first year we were living here a massive storm went through and took out a beautiful lilac tree and the hot house.  This year we've lost a peppermint tree and a silver birch to the wind.   Mind you, I think you could take out a silver birch if you sneezed too close to it.  

That's already too many trees as far as I'm concerned.  One tree is too many. So, I am very saddened to say that we've had yet another tree go down.  Or, more correctly, half a tree.  This time there was absolutely no wind at all.  

This is half of one whole tree that lines our driveway.  Normally, the ute would be parked under the tree but, luckily, R had decided to take the ute to work.  I was at home when the tree came down.  I heard an almighty crack and watched it fall, right across the hedge that I was just about to go outside to prune.  I was literally just finishing filling my water bottle, ahead of going out to do some light pruning, when it came down.   I guess it's fair to say that, while we feel devastated by the loss of our tree, we also feel a wee bit lucky.   

On the plus side, we've got a decent pile of wood for next winter.  

But I'd rather have the tree.