news from chicago: The Tree Comes Down

So remember when the tree branch fell right after we moved in? Well, today the tree was coming down. We were told that after the big branch fell that the tree had been silver tagged and was marked to be taken down by the village. We were told we'd be contacted - well, you can see that it's now the end of July. So I had called actually a few weeks prior to their coming to just inquire when the tree would be taken. We have had a super stormy summer and I was getting progressively more worried with each storm that a huge gust of wind would knock it down into the house.

So, on this morning (also a morning where E was coming to play!), I got a knock on the door asking me if a certain car was mine because it needed to be moved. It wasn't ours and they could never find the owner but that's how I found out the tree was coming down. We went outside to watch it all unfold and then after the guys left, E, James and me investigated the tree while C slept.

I took this photo of the guys because there was one in particular we named muscles that actually blew himself off with the leaf blower in front of Erica when I went inside to get Gatorades for the guys. She said it was "very memorable." James thank goodness was completely unaware of the event. Muscles is the guy pointing. Classy fellow.

The actual process of the tree coming down was actually quite sad. E and I discussed this sadness - neither of us had experienced this before. James was just completely transfixed by the whole process of putting a rope around each of the massive branches and then sawing it off and then navigating the branch down to the ground manipulating each of the suspending ropes. It was quick work and the guys were all really careful and actually very strong. But like I said, it was sad. This tree was coming down - this tree had been here, growing here, living here, providing a home for animals and shade for all of us. Just being a huge, beautiful column on our street. Many neighbors had come up to me telling me how they waited with their kids under this tree for the bus and how their kids would climb its branches. This was actually the tree we wanted to teach James to climb too. But now, she's gone. We watched her become chips of wood. But hopefully the wood will find a new purpose; a good purpose.

James standing on the stump

James reenacting the buzz-saw

Mom and James

Auntie E and James

James and the branches

The silver tag

We were trying to count the rings but lost count - this tree was very old.

Beautiful little green grasshopper

We told James to pat his legs and then he jumped so high. As a side note, it's awesome being able to "show and teach" James at the same time. Ah nature.