The City Arborist was right! Who knew?

Our tree lawn tree was suffering a bit.  It had some dried branches that I just couldn't get off.  Standing at the top ladder, I was still too short.  The neighbor suggested that I phone the city to have them come out to trim it.  After all, it is their tree anyhow.  

The City Arborist came out and gave it a look.  He phoned me with some rather sad news.  

She had to go.

It seems that he found "a cavity" and that he put a stick into it that went about "3/4 of the way through."  He promised me that they would cut it down and replant in the fall.  Still, when they came, it was very, very sad.

The old girl.  If you enlarge, you'll see the dead branches.  You'll also see the path that we're putting in to go to the front step and the pile of lawn that I dealt with tonight.  (We allowed it to dry so that I could shake off excess dirt in order to dispose then plant new grass.)

The axe murderers came.

He wielded his long handled chain saw. 

And wielded.

Until she was a very tall stump.  They cleaned up all around her . . . 

. . . And they left her that way.  No kidding.  It was like the tree was continually giving me the ugly finger from the tree lawn.  It was not pretty.

The neighbor came to ask if he could have the wood.  I said to have at it.  He did and lookie what he found.  

The arborist was right.  

And with that, Mike left me a shorter stump that doesn't look as hideous as the tall one.  

The city will be out to cut the remaining portion of the tree and grind the stump.  They'll plant grass and in the fall, they'll come back, dig a big hole and give me a new tree.

So sad to see her go, but the arborist was right and I am very glad that she didn't come down on someone.