Sorrow for a Tree

This morning branch by branch the black locust next to our house was cut down. It didn't take longer than a half a day to fell the tree that was four storeys  tall and who knows how many years old. In the spring when the locust tree was in bloom, it filled our rooms with its scent and it was one of the last trees to lose its foliage in the fall. It protected us from the sun and made our balcony feel like a cozy bower. Now it's gone.

 In spite of my regrets at seeing the tree go, I couldn't help but admire the skill of the tree cutter, more intrepid than any rock climber it seemed to me as he balanced on thin, flexible branches. He had no safety net below, just his  helmet, harness, rope and carabines. He was doing his job and doing it well.

Why did the tree have to go? It's a long story and we don't really know what is true and what is conjecture. Someone - for unknown reasons - instigated an examination of the tree and it was found to be unhealthy and a public safety hazard. Once the official report was made, there was nothing we could do. I am sure there are many trees in the city that wouldn't pass the test, but no one is interested in having them felled.

Two more shots in the extras, one looking down and one looking up from below and showing our balcony, the one on the top.