If a tree falls in the backyard, you hear it

Copyright 2007 Lydia Hinshaw

ORMOND BEACH, FL -- It was a quiet Wednesday evening here at the estate when we heard this prolonged rushing noise. Wasn't particularly loud or alarming. Prince Charming thought it was just a fence panel that he'd propped against a tree that had been caught by the breeze and toppled over. We heard no more noise and didn't investigate further.
It wasn't until Thursday morning that I discovered the truth. The biggest oak on the property, elderly but still producing leaves like a youngster, had toppled over. What a mess.
And how incredibly lucky we were! The tree missed the house. It missed our next-door neighbor's backyard gazebo. And it missed us. All week, Prince Charming, our handyman and I had been prowling the yard in search of broken or missing sprinkler heads, trying to get the sprinkler system into shape before we leave for Alaska next week.
We'd all been under that tree multiple times. If it had decided to fall in the afternoon, one or all of us might have been killed.
We've got a crew coming Wednesday to start cutting it up and hauling it away.
I bought my house partly because I loved the tall oaks that shaded the place, and the canopy that shaded the street. Twelve years later, only one oak is left. We've lost four big ones to old age, plus two palms to hurricanes. Our neighbors have been similarly afflicted, and now our "historic district" feels as bare as a brand new subdivision.
On the bright side, three palms that were barely as tall as I am when we moved in now tower over the roof. Two giant magnolias, a hickory and a bay tree look healthy. We've planted more palms, and one live oak that may provide shade for some future owner of this property, 50 years from now.
I've gotten used to the sunnier, more open look of the place, but not to the summertime electric bills. I'm glad the housesitter will soon be writing the checks.